G- 


AX 


THE  ZIGZAG  SERIES. 

BY 

HEZEKIAH    BUTTERWORTH. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  EUROPE. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  CLASSIC  LANDS. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE   ORIENT. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  OCCIDENT. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  NORTHERN  LANDS. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  AC  ADI  A. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  LEVANT. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  SUNNY  SOUTH. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  INDIA. 
ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 
— -•*• — 

ESTES  AND   LAURIAT,  Publishers, 
BOSTON,    MASS. 


A    IKX;   DRIVING    HOME   A    HORSE   FOR   HELP   FOR   HIS    DRUNKEN    MASTER 
WHO   HAD   FALLEN    FROM   THE   CARRIAGE."—  Page   ill. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS 


IN 


THE    ANTIPODES. 


BY 

HEZEKIAH    BUTTERWORTH. 


FULLY     ILLUSTRATED. 


BOSTON: 
E  S  T  R  S     AND     L  A  U  R I A  T 


Copyright,  1888, 
BY    ESTES    AND    LAURIAT. 


•All  Rights  Reserved. 


PREFACE. 


HIS  tenth  volume  of  the  "  ZIGZAG"  series  of 
books  has  a  double  purpose:  (i)  To  make 
young  people  better  acquainted  with  Siam  and 
the  islands  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  so  to  aid 
the  teacher  in  his  work ;  and  (2)  to  illustrate  the 
fact  that  kindness  to  harmless  and  tamable  ani- 
mals, as  exemplified  in  Buddhist  countries,  adds  to  the  general 
happiness  of  mankind. 

In  preparing  the  "ZIGZAG"  series  of  books,  I  have  had  many 
helps  from  experienced  travellers ;  and  in  this  one  I  am  indebted  to 
Mrs.  A.  H.  LEONOWENS,  author  of  "The  English  Governess  at  the 
Siamese  Court,"  who  was  once  employed  as  a  governess  in  the  royal 
court  of  Siam,  for  a  large  part  of  the  matter  in  the  ninth  chapter, 
and  to  Dr.  C.  A.  STEPHENS  for  the  plan  and  a  part  of  the  work 
in  the  chapter  on  Sumatra.  These  chapters,  in  part,  originally 
appeared  in  the  "  Youth's  Companion,"  as  also  the  story  of  the  Sia- 
mese twins.  I  have,  moreover,  received  helps  from  American  mis- 
sionaries in  Siam  and  Burmah. 


viii  PREFACE. 

The  "  ZIGZAG  "  books,  which  are  stories  of  places,  are  written 
with  the  aim  of  interesting  the  young  in  what  is  at  once  entertaining 
and  educational.  It  is  hoped  that  they  may  lead  the  young  readers 
to  form  a  taste  for  the  better  books  of  geography,  history,  legend, 
and  song,  that  treat  the  several  subjects  for  more  mature  minds. 

The  author  feels  grateful  to  the  public,  and  especially  to  parents 
and  teachers,  for  the  kind  and  liberal  way  in  which  each  new  volume 
has  been  received. 

H.    BUTTERWORTH. 

28  WORCESTER  STREET, 
BOSTON,  MASS. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAO« 

I.      A  TELEGRAPHER  IN  A  WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOTEL 15 

II.  FINDING  THE  ANTIPODES  OF  THE  WEST,  AND  THE  CHRISTMAS 

OF  COLUMBUS  IN  THE  NEW  WORLD _>S 

III.  COUSIN  IVORY,  AND  A  LETTER  FROM  SIAM 44 

IV.  A  CITY  RULED  BY  AN  ELEPHANT 55 

V.     AYUTHIA,  THE  TERRESTRIAL  PARADISE 71 

VI.     THE  MOST  WONDERFUL  RUINS  OF  ASIA      .     ._ 8o 

VII.     THE  STORY  OF  THE  LEPER  KING 88 

VIII.     IVORY  IN  FLORIDA 95 

IX.     IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES 115 

X.  JAVA.  —  THE  STORY  OF  THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN    ...  148 

XI.     BANGKOK '79 

XII.     THE  SIAMESE  TWINS 196 

XIII.  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A  LINEMAN  IN  SUMATRA  .     .     .  207 

XIV.  JAVA,  AND  THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN    .     .  "" 
XV.     BANGKOK  AGAIN « 

XVI.  THE  FATE  OF  THE  SEVEN  MERCHANTS  WHO  BELIEVED  LIES  283 

XVII.  THE  CREMATION  OF  A   KINC; 

XVIII.  IVORY'S  DEATH  V* 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PACK 

"A  dog  driving  home  a  horse  for  help 
for  his  drunken  master  who  had  fallen 
from  the  carriage "    .     .     .     .       Frontisfi€ce 
"  It  was  a  lonely  house,  deserted  by  its 

builders" 16 

"  I  was  reported  to  have  pursued  him  at 

a  wild  pace  through  the  woods"     .     .  19 
'•  I  used  to  shoot  at  everything,  whether 

it  were  good  to  eat  or  not "    .     .     .     .  23 
•'  Naples,  where  he  would  see  the  fires 
of  Vesuvius  gleaming  on  the  emerald 

deeps  of  the  summer  sea "     .     .     .  29 
"  The   boy-dreamer  of  Genoa  —  for   it 

was  he  —  told  him  his  dream  "...  35 
"Land  is  nigh,"  he  said;  "we  shall  see 

it  in  the  morning" 38 

The  Harbor  of  Havana 41 

Drifting  up  the  Meinam  in  May    ...  45 

Map  of  Siam 47 

Hi    "  points   toward   the  dazzling  light 

and  says,  •  Bangkok '"      49 

A  Patriarch  of  a  Monkey  and  his  Family  51 

"The  morning  will  find  us  in  Bangkok"  53 
"  For,  you  know,  the  Buddhists  believe 
that    men    are    reborn    according    to 

merit  " 56 

The  Elephants'  Kraal 57 

"The  palace  itself  is  a  wonder"    ...  61 

Driving  Wild  Elephants  into  the  Kraal .  64 

Royal  Audience  Hall  at  Bangkok      .     .  65 

The  King  as  a  Boy 69 

"The  royal  city  of  Ayuthia"      ....  73 

Ruins  of  the  Golden  Mountain      ...  77 

"  I  enclose  a  picture  " 80 

The  Leper  King 81 


PACK 

"The   temple  covered  an   area  of  ten 

acres "... 83 

The  Giant  Bridge  at  Angker,  restored  .  87 
"  Its  domes  were  like  stars,  and  its  pin- 
nacles like  jewels  " 89 

"  The  King  from  the  Lotus  Land  started 

on  a  long  journey  " 93 

"  By  the  gate  of  the  palace  he  sat,  the 

Leper  King" 94 

The  White  Heron 97 

Birds  on  the  Indian  River 101 

The  River  Ouse  goes  dimpling  by     .     .  105 

Cowper's  House  at  Olney 109 

"  The  orioles  are  weavers  " 112 

"  Swallows  that  frequent  the  surf-beaten 

caves" 113 

The  Astrologer  from  Siam 1 18 

"  Moonsee  can  burn  water  "     ....  119 
"  We  had  gone  out  into  the  court  to  en- 
joy the  cooler  air  " 125 

"  The  pious  fakir  rolled  down  his  back"  129 

"A  very  wise  king  he  must  have  been"  132 
"  The  rachassee  and  the  elephant  are 
usually  placed  on  the  outside  of  the 

temples  " 133 

"  Its  fond  mother  first  brought  it  into 

the  sitting-room  in  her  mouth  "      .     .  137 

"  Her  eyes  were  filled  with  reproach"  141 
"  She  's   brought  it  home,  basket  and 

all" 143 

"A  negro  boy  violently  kicked  him  "     .  145 

A  Javan  Basket- Merchant  ....  149 
"  She  did  not  look  as  though  she  could 

fly" 152 

The  Java  Coffee- Market 153 


XII 


ILLUSTRA  TIONS. 


PACK 

•'  The  fishermen  said  she  had  wings"     .  155 

The  great  Buddhist  Temple  of  Java  .     .  157 

"  Here  the  local  sportsmen  sought  them  "  161 
••  He  had  turned  around  with  wild  eyes, 

and  fled  " 165 

A  Bamboo  Bridge 169 

A  Roadside  in  Java 173 

"  People  seemed  to  live  on  the  water"  .  177 
44  Within  these   walls   reside   none   but 

women" 181 

Siamese  Dramatic  Artists 185 

The  Ceremonial  of  Shaving  the  Hair     .  189 

"  He  shot  an  arrow  into  the  air  "  .     .     .  193 

Ladies  dining  in  the  Inner  City    .     -     .  197 

The  Siamese  Twins   ....     .     .     .  199 

Javan  Women  dancing     ......  201 

A  Javan  Home 205 

"  Down  the  valley  of  the  River  Busar  "  .  209 

A  little  Suspension  Bridge  of  Bamboo   .  212 

A  Scene  in  Sumatra 213 

"  Others  were  breaking  down  or  wrench- 
ing out  the  posts "  .     .     .     .    .     .     .  217 

"  So  he  sent  for  his  lords  and  attend- 
ants, and  they  all  set  off  together  "    .  220 
"  On  he  rode  as  fast  as  before,  with  the 

tree  in  his  hand" 223 

An  Avenue  in  Batavia 227 

Chinese  devoured  by  Man-eating  Tigers  231 

"  And  yet  the  mice  do  not  love  the  cat  "  234 

"  Vessels  went  out  of  Amsterdam  empty  "  236 

•'  A  strange  form  appeared  on  the  deck  "  237 


•'  He  would  have  to  sail  away  again"      .  241 
"He  is  doomed  to  sail  forever"     .     .     .  243 
"  Like  to  a  vision,  seen  in  days  long  by- 
gone " 247 

"  Many  millions  more  for  sport  "  .     .     .  251 

An  Idolatrous  Habit 253 

"  They  met  a  forlorn  donkey "       •     .     •  255 
"  Now,  the  building  was  not  a  temple, 

but  the  palace  of  a  Rakshas  "...  257 

Idol  of  the  God  of  Wisdom 260 

"  The  same  eternal  figure  of  Buddha  "  .  261 
"  Both  girls  were  laughing  and  shriekin». 

and  making  merry  over  their  work  "    .  263 

"  We  walked  by  the  canal  "       ....  267 
"In    the    fall    the    river    overflows    its 

banks " 272 

"  The  driver   sat   on   the   head  of  the 

elephant " 273 

A  Pagoda  in  the  Laos 275 

A  Marriage  Ceremony  in  Java  ....  279 

On  a  Bamboo  Raft 285 

Rafting  Teak- Wood 289 

A  Village  in  the  Upper  Laos   .     .          .  293 
The  City  of  Xieng  Mai,  in  the  Upper 

Laos 297 

"  He  seized  the  man  and  was  about  to 

devour  him" 301 

"  The  elephant  begged  for  a  week's  de- 
lay "      ...  .  305 

A  Break-Neck  Ride 311 

Ivory's  Tomb  at  Bangkok i!7 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE   ANTIPODES. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

A   TELEGRAPHER   IN   A    WHITE    MOUNTAIN    HOTEL. 

HAD  never  thought  much  about  the  sacredness 
of  all  life,  animal  as  well  as  human,  until  I  met 
my  cousin  Ivory,  from  Siam.  I  was  employed 
as  tutor  in  the  family  of  one  of  the  great  White 
Mountain  hotel-keepers  in  the  summer,  and  I 
held  the  same  position  in  a  Florida  hotel  in 
winter,  both  houses  having  the  same  proprietor. 
I  was  fond  of  the  gun,  and  I  had  never  been 
taught  that  there  was  anything  more  wrong  or  cruel  in  killing  a  bird 
or  an  animal  without  a  purpose,  than  in  cutting  down  a  shrub  or  a 
plant  None  of  my  teachers  had  ever  said  anything  to  me  upon 
the  subject.  I  had  never  heard  so  much  as  a  suggestion  concern- 
ing it  in  the  church  or  the  Sunday-school.  I  had  read  something 
about  the  subject  in  Thoreau's  "  Walden ; "  that  was  all. 

I  had  been  sent  to  school  in  an  old  red  school-house  among  the 
Granite  Hills,  in  the  town  where  the  hotel  was  situated.  The  school- 
house  had  a  terrible  tradition.  It  was  a  lonely  house,  deserted  by  its 
builders,  and  adapted  to  its  altered  use  by  an  economical  school-com- 
mittee where  land  was  cheap.  The  house,  one  fall,  obtained  the  dark 
reputation  of  being  haunted.  The  children's  lunches  often  disappeared 
in  a  way  that  was  unaccountable.  In  early  spring  the  story  had  been 


16 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


revived,  as  strange  noises  were  heard  under  the  building.  One  day,  at 
recess,  one  of  the  pupils  discovered  a  large  hole  under  the  foundations 
of  the  building ;  and  through  the  opening  appeared  a  long,  brown  nose, 
almost  as  large  as  that  of  a  horse.  What  could  it  be  ?  The  more 


"IT  WAS  A  LONELY  HOUSE,  DESERTED  BY  ITS  BUILDERS." 

adventurous  boys  threw  sticks  and  stones  at  the  mysterious  nose, 
when  there  emerged  from  the  hole  a  long  head  and  a  great  shaggy 
body. 

"  A  bear! "  shouted  all ;  and  there  was  a  flying  of  feet  inside  of  the 
doors. 

The  faces  of  the  teacher  and  of  all  the  boys  and  girls  filled  the 


A    TELEGRAPHER  IN  A    WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOTEL.  1 7 

windows,  and  a  large  bear  was  seen  swaying  to  and  fro  from  the 
house  toward  a  long  strip  of  pine  that  led  to  the  hills.  Had  the  bear 
been  under  the  house  all  winter?  Was  another  there?  Would  he 
return  ? 

Not  only  the  school,  but  the  whole  neighborhood  had  been  thrown 
into  a  great  state  of  excitement  by  this  queer  event.  The  boys  or- 
ganized an  Anti-Bear  Club,  and  made  me  their  leader.  I  felt  very 
heroic  over  the  honor.  To  be  the  Chief  of  the  Anti-Bear  Club,  in  this 
time  of  excitement,  was  no  common  trust.  I  felt  its  importance  duly; 
and  to  prepare  myself  for  some  future  great  encounter  with  Bruin,  I 
began  to  wage  war  on  innocent  rabbits  and  otters,  and  the  whole 
animal  kingdom.  We  armed  ourselves  with  bows  and  arrows,  and 
began  to  practise  at  a  mark  which  we  seldom  failed  not  to  hit;  and 
if  the  mark  had  been  the  bear,  the  arrows  would  not  have  given  him 
so  much  as  a  scratch.  People  began  to  carry  guns  in  their  wagons 
when  they  were  to  pass  through  lonely  roads,  and  especially  when 
they  went  to  mill,  as  the  mill  was  on  a  secluded  waterfall  far  from  the 
main  way.  I  had  been  accustomed  to  go  to  mill  on  horseback,  sitting 
upon  the  grist  like  a  saddle. 

"  Manton,"  said  my  father  to  me  one  day,  "  we  are  out  of  meal." 

"  I  will  go  to  mill,"  said  I,  "  but  I  must  have  the  gun." 

"  The  gun  !     Pooh  !     What  for  ?  " 

"Why,  you  know,  —  the  bear." 

"  But  you  don't  need  the  gun  on  horseback.  The  horse  would 
save  you,  if  you  should  see  the  bear." 

"  Yes ;  but  I  could  not  kill  the  bear." 

"  True,  Manton,  true,  —  well,  take  the  gun." 

The  horse  was  a  young  one  and  quite  nervous;  but  he  had  carried 
grists  to  the  mill  several  times  in  safety,  shying  at  times  at  a  stump  or 
a  noise  in  the  bushes  by  the  wayside.  I  never  felt  more  proud  in  my 
life  than  when  I  mounted  the  horse  on  the  bag,  and  father  handed  me 
the  gun.  Had  I  not  seen  a  like  picture  in  the  "Trappers'  Tales" 


1 8  ZIGZAG   JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

I  turned  the  gun  in  an  inverse  angle  under  my  left  arm,  for  it  was 
in  this  picturesque  way  that  I  fancied  I  had  seen  it  carried  by  some 
pictured  Mexican  on  the  plains.  In  making  this  curious  manoeuvre 
I  chanced  to  hit  the  pony,  and  the  latter  began  to  wheel  round  and 
round.  At  each  circle  the  gun  would  strike  him  again,  and  he  seemed 
to  become  very  suspicious  that  the  gun  was  not  a  proper  thing  to 
carry.  But  after  much  excitement  he  came  under  control,  and  I 
started  toward  the  mill. 

It  was  a  fragrant  morning  in  spring;  the  snow  was  melting  on  the 
mountains,  and  there  were  cascades  everywhere.  The  bluebirds  had 
come,  and  the  red-headed  woodpeckers  were  tapping  the  trees.  The 
sun  was  all  radiance,  glimmering  amid  the  hemlocks ;  and  I,  the  Chief 
of  the  Anti-Bear  Club,  rode  on,  longing  for  an  adventure  that  would 
justify  my  title  to  that  honor.  But  no  bear  appeared.  I  began  to 
hear  the  mill-wheel  turning  in  the  distance,  and  felt  a  shadow  of 
disappointment  at  not  having  met  the  bear. 

At  this  unheroic  juncture  a  little  rabbit  chanced  to  run  into  the 
road.  I  whistled.  He  pricked  up  his  ears  and  stopped.  I  was  full 
of  the  impulse  to  use  the  gun,  and  turned  the  latter  suddenly  and 
fired.  The  earth  seemed  to  collapse  with  the  report  of  the  gun.  I 
know  not  how  it  all  came  about  so  suddenly.  I  recall  finding  myself 
on  the  ground  in  a  heap  of  shelled  corn,  of  seeing  a  rabbit's  tail  dis- 
appearing in  the  bushes,  and  the  very  much  longer  tail  of  a  wild  pony 
forming  a  curve  over  a  side  hill.  I  was  greatly  shocked  and  amazed. 
Just  then  an  animal  moved  in  some  bushes  by  the  roadside.  It  might 
have  been  the  bear.  I  never  knew.  If  I  could  not  kill  the  bear,  I 
was  resolved  that  the  Chief  of  the  Anti-Bear  Club  at  least  should  not 
be  devoured  by  the  bear;  and  leaving  the  gun  in  the  road,  I  flew 
toward  the  mill. 

It  was  a  terrible  tale  of  adventure  that  I  had  to  tell  the  miller. 
The  latter  told  it  to  the  farmers  as  they  came  with  their  grists.  The 
excitement  grew.  I  recovered  my  gun  and  returned  home  on  foot. 


"  I  WAS  REPORTED  TO  HAVE  PURSUED  HIM  AT  A  WILD  PACE  THKOUGH 

THE  WOODS." 


A    TELEGRAPHER  IN  A    WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOTEL.  21 

My  mother  received  me  gratefully,  and  said  it  was  a  "  narrer  escape." 
The  pony  had  returned,  but  he  would  not  allow  me  to  approach  him 
for  weeks.  As  for  father,  he  merely  said :  "  Well,  Manton,  ye  made  a 
rather  scatterin  voyage." 

The  bear  story  was  told  at  the  great  hotel  when  the  summer 
season  opened,  and  had  a  most  ridiculous  ending.  The  old  women 
and  servants  were  often  heard  cautioning  the  children  of  the  hotel- 
boarders  not  to  go  far  from  the  grounds  nor  into  the  woods,  lest  they 
should  meet  with  the  dreadful  bear  and  some  Little  Red  Riding-Hood 
catastrophe  should  follow.  The  women  of  the  hotel  were  very  cautious 
of  long  excursions,  and  avoided  the  beautiful  byways  of  the  country. 
Bruin  had  become  a  bugbear  indeed,  and  I  was  reported  to  have 
pursued  him  at  a  wild  pace  through  the  woods  to  his  lair. 

There  was  a  little  girl  boarder  called  Flossie.  I  never  knew  what 
her  other  name  was.  Her  mother  was  rich  and  pretentious;  a  person 
of  newly  acquired  wealth,  I  think,  as  most  showy  people  are.  She 
affected  great  fear  of  the  perils  of  country  life,  and  had  a  great  horror 
that  Flossie  might  be  devoured  by  the  bear.  The  bear  would  have 
had  a  hard  time  to  devour  Flossie,  with  her  doll  dresses,  ribbons, 
enormous  hat,  and  ornaments.  But  her  mother,  many  times  a  day, 
would  look  up  from  her  novel  to  say,  "  Don't  go  far,  Flossie,  on 
account  of  the  bear." 

The  bear  story  grew.  All  bear  stories  are  apt  to  grow.  A  hotel 
is  a  good  place  for  a  story  to  grow ;  boarders  of  easy  means  are  apt  to 
have  very  poetic  imaginations. 

One  day  I  heard  Flossie's  mother  say,  "  Don't  run  away,  Flossie ; 
remember  those  little  school-children  who  were  eaten  up  by  the  bear." 

u  Where  were  they  eaten  up  by  the  bear,  mother?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know !     Don't  bother  me  ;  the  Bible  tells  all  about  it." 

This  was  an  evolution  of  the  local  story,  indeed.  But  one  day 
Flossie  "  runned  away,"  as  she  called  her  escapade.  It  was  one  morn- 
ing, toward  noon,  that  a  doll-like  little  figure  was  seen  flying  down  the 


22  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE    ANTIPODES. 

near  hill,  evidently  in  great  terror.  Her  hat,  which  was  as  big  as  a 
parasol,  was  floating  behind  her  on  the  wind;  her  ribbons  streamed 
like  flags,  and  her  white  dress  like  a  wee  yacht  under  full  sail.  Her 
mother  saw  her  coming  in  this  alarmed  condition,  dropped  her 
novel,  and  like  one  of  her  novel's  probable  heroes  or  heroines,  cried, 
M  My  child,  my  child  !  "  Flossie  presently  fell  down  in  a  little  muslin 
heap  on  the  veranda  of  the  hotel.  Her  mother  picked  her  up,  drew 
her  to  her  breast,  and  gasped,  "  What  is  it,  Flossie  ? "  Flossie  sobbed. 
At  last,  when  somewhat  quieted,  Flossie  ventured  to  look  up  into  her  . 
mother's  face. 

"  What  is  it,  Flossie  ?  " 

"I  —  saw  —  the  —  horrid  —  bear." 

"  Oh,  Flossie  !     I  will  not  stay  here  a  day  longer." 

The  mother  put  her  adventurous  little  one  down  gently,  and  hur- 
ried into  the  parlor  to  spread  the  fearful  news.  Several  guests  agreed 
with  the  indignant  mother  that  the  place  was  unsafe  for  women 
and  children,  and  that  they  ought  to  make  a  change. 

Flossie  became  a  heroine.  That  evening  the  hotel  proprietor, 
alarmed  at  the  evil  reputation  which  had  befallen  his  house,  came 
into  the  parlor  where  the  women  and  the  new  Little  Red  Riding- 
Hood  were. 

"  I  think  it  is  a  shame  to  keep  a  hotel  in  such  a  place,"  said  Flos- 
sie's mother;  and  a  rich  old  lady,  in  a  high  cap  and  a  stiff  satin  dress, 
said  plainly,  with  great  dignity  and  a  wave  of  a  feather-fan, — 

"  And  I  think  so  too.     A  man  ought  to  be  prosecuted." 

"  I  think  there  is  some  mistake,"  said  the  proprietor.  "  How  did 
the  bear  look,  Flossie  ? " 

"  Black,  —  it  was  a  black  bear." 

"  There ! "  said  Flossie's  mother ;  "  could  anything  be  more  con- 
vincing than  that  ?  " 

11  But  how  did  you  know  it  was  a  bear  ?    Did  you  ever  see  a  bear  ?  " 

"Yes;  I 'se  seen  'em  in  the  picture-books." 


"I   USED  TO   SHOOT   AT   EVERYTHING,    WHETHER   IT   WERE  GOOD  TO   EAT  OR    NOT." 


A   TELEGRAPHER  IN  A    WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOTEL.  25 

"  It  might  have  been  a  black  dog." 

"  No,  it  was  n't,  —  I  know  it  was  a  bear." 

"  How,  Flossie  ?  " 

"  He  said  so  hisself." 

There  was  an  awful  silence.  The  old  woman  dropped  her  feather- 
fan.  Had  the  age  of  ^sop  returned  again  ? 

"  What  did  he  say,  Flossie  ?  " 

"  He  just  said,  Ba-a^ 

If  ever  a  parlor  full  of  women  turned  into  statues,  it  was  at  this 
dramatic  disclosure.  The  proprietor  laid  back  his  head  to  take  breath, 
and  then  such  an  explosion  of  laughter  as  followed  I  have  seldom 
heard.  Flossie's  mother  rose,  and  said  with  an  injured  air, — 

"  It  is  time  for  you  to  go  to  bed,  Flossie  ;  "  and  in  this  opinion  there 
seemed  to  be  a  unanimous  agreement.  I  never  heard  much  fear  of 
the  bear  expressed  anywhere,  after  this  episode  was  made  public  and 
became  a  village  story. 

But  my  boyish  experience,  as  the  Chief  of  the  Anti-Bear  Club,  gave 
me  an  education  in  cruelty  that  I  to-day  look  back  upon  with  horror, 
and  I  wonder  how  I,  who  have  naturally  a  kind  heart,  could  have 
done  some  acts  which  I  did  without  any  disturbance  of  conscience. 
I  used  to  shoot  at  everything,  whether  it  were  good  to  eat  or  not,  or 
harmful  or  not ;  and  there  is  nothing  that  flies  or  walks  which  is  really 
harmful,  or  not  a  help  to  the  largest  interest  of  mankind. 

I  recall  breaking  the  wing  of  a  mother  robin  while  the  latter  was 
sitting  upon  her  young  brood,  and  that  the  act  did  give  me  a  twinge  of 
conscience.  I  shot  at  her  with  an  arrow.  She  dropped  from  her  nest 
with  a  broken  wing,  ran  into  some  briers,  and  I  caught  her.  I  put 
her  in  a  cage,  and  she  got  away  twice ;  and  as  she  could  not  fly,  she 
tried  to  hop  back  to  her  nest  and  young.  A  feeling  of  pity  filled  my 
heart,  as  I  saw  this  instinct.  She  and  her  brood  died  in  a  few  days. 
I  have  to-day  no  words  to  express  my  detestation  of  such  an  act.  What 
a  brute  I  was,  to  deprive  this  innocent  bird  of  the  orchards,  the  sun- 


26  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

shine,  her  nest,  her  young,  and  all  that  God  and  Nature  had  fitted  her 
to  enjoy ! 

Was  I  to  blame?  Yes;  but  there  were  other  conditions  of  social 
life  to  blame.  My  parents  were  to  blame ;  my  teachers  were  to  blame  ; 
the  papers  and  books  that  I  read  were  to  blame ;  and  the  dead  social 
conscience  was  to  blame,  and  all  the  influences  that  were  indifferent 
to  the  sacredness  of  animal  life. 

My  cousin  Ivory?  His  father  was  a  missionary  in  Siam.  Ivory 
had  come  to  this  country  when  a  boy,  and  studied  two  years  at  the 
Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology  at  Boston,  had  returned  to  the 
Antipodes,  and  been  employed  as  a  lineman  in  Sumatra.  I  had  met 
him  often  when  he  was  in  America,  had  come  to  like  him  more  than 
others,  and  a  warm  attachment  had  been  formed  between  us. 

Sumatra  is  a  land  of  strange  animals,  and  I  read  with  an  eager 
interest  Ivory's  letters,  that  were  full  of  stories  of  adventures  among 
animals  which  opposed  his  work  on  the  telegraph  lines.  But  these 
letters  had  a  very  different  spirit  from  those  of  American  boys  in 
the  East  or  West.  There  was  a  kindliness  in  them  that  I  could 
not  understand.  We  came  to  speak  of  Ivory  as  our  cousin  in  the 
Antipodes. 

After  several  years'  work  in  telegraph  building  in  Sumatra,  Java, 
and  Siam,  I  received  a  letter  from  him  which  greatly  pleased  me.  I 
had  become  a  tutor  then. 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  is  about  to  visit  me  ? "  I  asked  of  my  pupils 
one  day. 

11  Your  friend  Harry  from  the  Plains,"  said  one,  with  expectation. 

"  No;  my  cousin  Ivory  from  the  Antipodes." 

"  What  are  the  Antipodes  ? "  asked  all. 

*  The  people  whose  feet  are  turned  toward  ours." 

"  Does  your  cousin  Ivory  walk  with  his  feet  turned  toward  ours  ?  " 
asked  a  lad. 

"Yes." 


A    TELEGRAPHER  IN  A    WHITE  MOUNTAIN  HOTEL.  27 

"With  his  head  hanging  down  over  nothing?  I  should  think  that 
he  would  fall  off." 

"  Where  would  he  go  to  ? "  asked  another. 

I  promised  my  pupils  that  our  next  studies  in  geography  should  be 
the  Antipodes ;  and  at  our  next  session  I  related  to  them  the  following 
story. 


CHAPTER   II. 


FINDING    THE    ANTIPODES    OF    THE   WEST,    AND    THE    CHRISTMAS    OF 
COLUMBUS    IN    THE    NEW    WORLD. 

BOUT  four  hundred  and  thirty  years  ago,  an  Italian  boy 
was  sitting  upon  one  of  the  old  quays  of  Genoa,  gaz- 
ing upon  the  evening  star.  He  had  recently  returned 
from  the  University  at  Pavia,  and  knew  something  of 
astronomy.  He  was  not  like  other  boys,  although  he 
knew  not  why  at  the  time,  —  he  afterward  said  that  a 
Divine  calling  to  perform  some  unknown  mission  had 
impressed  itself  upon  him  in  his  boyhood,  and  that  it 
was  this  which  gave  his  mind  and  feet  no  rest  in  his 
early  years. 

The  star  seemed  hanging  in  the  liquid  air.  How  did  it  come  there?  What 
held  it?  Was  it  a  sphere?  What  if  this  earth  itself  were  a  star,  hanging  like  a 
sphere  in  space?  If  so,  half  of  this  earth-star  was  unknown.  He  dreamed,  per- 
haps, that  he  was  upon  another  planet,  and  found  it  looked  out  into  the  heavens 
for  the  earth.  Night  came :  the  celestial  scenery  began  to  appear ;  the  great 
planets  shone  like  astrals.  Then  in  his  dream  appeared  the  earth.  It  was  a 
little  star.  What  if  he  could  sail  away  into  the  unknown  regions  of  the  ocean, 
and  find  there  an  undiscovered  hemisphere? 

The  shadows  were  falling  upon  Genoa,  and  stars  like  lamps  were  appear- 
ing over  the  dark  walls  of  the  mountains.  The  city  stood  white  in  the  gather- 
ing gloom ;  lights  twinkled  in  the  cool  balconies,  and  the  boats  came  in  from 
the  sea. 

The  boy  s(it  dreaming.  In  his  studies  he  had  met  with  a  Latin  author, 
Seneca.  The  works  of  this  author  contained  a  strange  prophecy,  and  in  it  were 
the  Latin  words  Ultima  Thule,  —  "  the  last  world."  The  words  "  Ultima  Thule  " 
seemed  spoken  to  his  soul.  Very  early  in  his  life,  perhaps  at  this  very  hour, 
they  began  to  haunt  him,  and  make  his  imagination  restless.  "  Ultima  Thule  ! 
Ultima  Thule  !  "  rang  in  his  ears. 


Ul    U 

OS    K 


§2 


FINDING   THE  ANTIPODES  OF  THE   WEST.  31 

The  boy  was  poor.  He  must  become  a  sailor,  —  most  poor  boys  of  Genoa 
became  sailors.  In  a  few  days  he  would  make  his  first  voyage ;  it  would  be  to 
Naples,  where  he  would  see  the  fires  of  Vesuvius  gleaming  on  the  emerald  deeps 
of  the  summer  sea.  He  had  a  very  religious  nature,  and  he  was  a  lover  of 
church  music  and  the  old  Latin  hymns.  There  was  one  hymn  that  the  sailors 
used  to  sing ;  it  was  a  hymn  to  a  star.  The  Virgin  was  represented  in  it  as  a 
Star.  When  the  boy  first  heard  this  hymn  we  do  not  know,  but  it  became  the 
hymn  of  his  soul,  —  "  Ave  Maria  Stella." 

"  Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 

Portal  of  the  sky! 
Ever  Virgin  Mother 
Of  the  Lord  Most  High  !  " 

There  were  two  stanzas  of  this  old  hymn  that  expressed  his  aspiration  and 

feeling,  — 

"Still,  as  on  we  journey, 

Help  our  weak  endeavor, 
Till  with  Thee  and  Jesus 
We  rejoice  forever. 

"Through  the  highest  heaven 

To  the  Almighty  Three, 
Father,  Son,  and  Spirit, 
Equal  glory  be  !  " 

The  beautiful  night  was  filled  with  stars,  as  the  boy  turned  away  from  the 
lonely  quay,  and  made  his  way  through  the  silent  streets  to  his  simple  home. 
The  stars  seemed  all  around  him  like  the  lamps  of  a  celestial  city.  What  if  the 
earth  itself  were  but  one  of  them?  What  if  the  earth  were  a  star? 

In  1459  the  boy  sailed  away  under  the  bright  banners  of  John  of  Anjou,  in 
the  expedition  of  that  Duke  to  gain  the  crown  of  Naples.  From  that  day  he 
became  a  sailor,  and  lived  for  years  almost  constantly  upon  the  Mediterranean. 
But  wherever  he  went  the  dream  of  his  boyhood  came  back,  ever  with  more 
distinctness.  His  mind  was  haunted  by  his  star. 

The  boy,  a  young  man  now,  began  to  hear  strange  stories  of  the  bold  sailors 
of  Henry  of  Portugal.  These  Portuguese  adventurers  were  believed  to  have 
discovered  the  Fortunate  Islands,  the  Hesperian  Gardens  of  the  Golden  Age. 
They  were  venturing  farther  and  farther  upon  the  unknown  ocean,  and  were 
filling  Portugal  with  wonderful  stories  of  what  they  had  found  and  seen. 

It  was  believed  at  this  time  that  beyond  the  known  ocean  was  a  sea  of  mon- 
sters, and  that  this  sea  was  eternally  dark,  and  that  they  who  should  venture 


32  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

near  it  would  be  devoured  by  sea  dragons  or  serpents  of  horrid  shapes  and 
gigantic  forms.  Nothing  could  be  more  horrible  than  this  imaginary  dark  sea. 

The  Portuguese,  however,  did  not  find  it.  The  ocean,  wherever  they  ven- 
tured, was  calm  and  beautiful,  and  lighted  with  stars.  There  was  no  eternal 
darkness  and  there  were  no  monsters.  But  the  sky  in  summer  was  often  fiery, 
and  it  came  to  be  believed  by  many  that  instead  of  an  ocean  of  darkness  and 
monsters  the  sea  was  bounded  by  awful  gulfs  of  fire,  and  that  those  who  dared  to 
go  beyond  a  certain  imaginary  boundary  would  never  return,  —  that  they  would 
sail  into  billows  of  fire,  and  so  be  destroyed. 

Prince  Henry  of  Portugal  had  become  intensely  interested  in  the  navigators' 
tales.  He  established  a  naval  college  and  erected  an  observatory,  and  became 
the  patron  of  adventurous  navigators.  He,  too,  began  to  dream  of  islands  and 
peopled  regions  beyond  the  known  limits  of  the  sea.  The  mariner's  compass 
under  his  influence  came  into  general  use.  Ships  sailed  into  the  tropics,  and 
were  not  lost  either  in  darkness  or  in  flames.  The  African  coast  became 
known,  and  the  beautiful  Azore  Islands. 

The  boy  dreamer  heard  of  these  wonderful  things.  His  restless  imagination 
made  his  feet  restless.  He  must  go  to  Portugal.  Not  for  wealth,  not  for  fame, 
but  because  he  had  dreamed  a  dream  that  was  greater  than  had  entered  other 
minds,  because  a  Divine  influence  seemed  to  inspire  him  and  impel  him,  he 
must  go.  He  had  seen  a  star. 

He  arrived  at  Lisbon  in  1470,  a  young  man,  handsome  and  courtly,  but 
lonely  and  mysterious.  His  dream  had  become  his  life.  He  had  not  been  like 
other  boys,  and  now  he  was  not  like  other  men.  But  those  who  came  to  know 
him  loved  him  greatly ;  and  among  them  Dona  Felipa,  the  daughter  of  an  Italian 
cavalier,  one  of  Prince  Henry's  navigators,  whom  he  married. 

He  still  loved  the  stars,  and  gazed  wistfully  toward  the  mysterious  sea,  and 
dreamed.  The  words  "Ultima  Thule "  still  haunted  him;  something  awaited 
him  that  did  not  belong  to  the  destiny  of  other  men,  —  what,  he  did  not  know. 
He  loved  the  Church,  and  secret  communion  with  God.  It  was  his  delight  to 
hide  away  in  the  Chapel  of  All  Saints ;  to  go  away  from  the  vision  of  the  stars 
to  seek  the  direction  of  Him  who  had  created  all  things  and  knew  the  great 
secrets  of  all.  He  studied  maps  and  navigation  continually,  and  listened  to  all 
the  tales  that  the  sea  adventurers  told.  The  conviction  settled  more  and  more 
upon  him  that  a  large  portion  of  the  earth  must  be  unexplored.  What  was 
there?  Darkness?  Fire?  Beautiful  lands,  islands,  and  seas? 

The  far  ocean  had  been  found  so  wonderfully  beautiful  that  people  now 
began  to  dream  that  Paradise  was  there,  with  seven  cities,  built  by  seven  lost 
Bishops  whom  the  Moors  had  driven  to  sea 


FINDING    THE  ANTIPODES  OF  THE   WEST.  33 

The  dreamer  still  saw  the  Evening  Star  glowing  in  the  west,  in  the  glim- 
mering horizon  that  seemed  to  blend  with  the  sea.  What  was  in  the  west? 
His  soul  longed  to  follow  the  star,  but  he  was  poor.  He  had  a  soul  to  dare  the 
sea,  but  he  was  so  poor  in  influence  and  purse  that  he  could  not  command  a  sail. 

At  this  time  a  great  scientific  discovery  was  made,  —  the  astrolabe,1  by  which 
the  sailer  was  freed  from  his  bondage  to  the  land,  as  it  enabled  him  to  find  the 
land  again  wherever  he  might  travel  the  sea. 

The  dreamer  of  Genoa  now  saw  his  opportunity.  He  saw  in  the  new  inven- 
tion the  sceptre  of  the  sea,  the  key  to  the  ocean's  mysteries. 

He  went  to  King  John  of  Portugal.  He  asked  for  ships  to  sail  into  the  west, 
—  to  follow  the  Star.  He  told  the  king  that  he  believed  that  Asia  could  be 
reached  by  sailing  west,  and  that  he  could  discover  the  island  of  Cipango,  the 
supposed  treasure-island  of  the  far  seas,  and  return  from  this  island  to  enrich 
the  King  and  make  glorious  his  reign.  The  King  referred  the  matter  to  a 
learned  Council.  The  Council  ridiculed  the  dream,  and  the  dreamer  left  the 
Court  with  a  sad  heart. 

But  the  dream  haunted  the  King.  Suppose  it  were  true?  Crowns  enrich 
themselves  by  commerce.  He  resolved  to  send  out  a  secret  expedition  of  his 
own,  and  thus  defraud  the  supposed  visionary,  should  the  dream  be  true. 

Among  those  who  listened  to  the  dream  was  Count  Villareal.  He  was  a 
man  of  genius  and  believed  the  dreamer. 

"  I  am  a  soldier,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am  about  to  prophesy  with  a  spirit  and 
voice  that  seem  to  come  to  me  from  Heaven :  the  prince  who  shall  undertake 
this  enterprise  will  win  greater  glory  and  renown  than  any  prince  who  ever  sat 
upon  a  throne." 

The  wife  of  the  Italian  dreamer  died,  and  he  turned  away  from  Portugal, 
poor  and  disheartened,  but  still  rich  in  his  dream.  He  left  behind  him  debts 
that  he  could  not  pay.  He  fled  secretly,  taking  with  him  his  only  son,  Diego 
(1484).  He  returned  to  Genoa,  where  he  had  dreamed  his  childhood  dreams. 
The  latter  had  come  to  nothing :  was  the  Divine  guidance  in  which  he  had 
trusted  only  a  delusion  or  a  fancy?  The  gates  of  inspiration  had  seemed  to  be 
open  to  him ;  now  they  seemed  closed.  But  the  Star  still  shone  as  of  old  on 
the  far  western  sea. 

The  dream  came  back  again.  He  applied  to  the  Republic  of  Genoa  for 
ships  to  explore  the  western  ocean,  —  to  dukes  and  princes;  but  all  listened  to 
him  as  to  a  fairy  tale. 

The  dream  grew;  it  gave  him  no  rest.  He  resolved  to  go  to  Spain  and 
to  lay  his  plan  before  the  sovereigns.  It  was  the  golden  age  of  Spain  now. 

1  Now  the  quadrant 
3 


34  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

The  wedded  kingdoms  of  Arragon  and  Castile,  under  Ferdinand  and  Isabella, 
were  triumphing  over  the  Moors.  He  obtained  an  audience  with  the  King, 
who  listened  to  him  as  to  a  poet,  and,  like  King  John  of  Portugal,  referred  the 
matter  to  a  Council. 

The  Council  met  at  Salamanca.  It  consisted  of  university  men  of  science 
and  of  prelates.  In  the  discussion  of  the  theory  the  prelates  thought  the 
conception  of  a  new  world  contradicted  the  theology  of  Saint  Augustine  and 
the  works  of  the  Latin  Fathers,  and  therefore  could  not  be  correct. 

"  If  the  world  be  round,"  said  one  of  the  grave  men  of  science,  "  then  the 
people  on  the  other  side  must  walk  with  their  feet  upward  and  their  heads 
downward,  and  that  could  not  be." 

"  If  this  theory  be  true,"  said  another  great  man,  "  there  can  be  no  heavens 
over  the  lower  part  of  the  earth." 

"  As  to  returning  from  the  voyage,"  said  another,  "  that  would  be  impos- 
sible; for  the  ship  would  have  to  sail  up  the  earth,  as  though  it  were  climbing  a 
mountain.  That  could  not  be." 

How  wise  these  men  were !  Were  there  indeed  Antipodes?  Were  there 
people  and  countries  and  seas  and  islands  under  the  earth  ? 

Time  passed.  Hungry  and  thirsty,  there  came  one  day  a  traveller  to  a 
convent  near  Palos,  leading  by  the  hand  a  motherless  boy.  It  was  high  noon, 
and  the  traveller  stopped  in  the  shade  to  speak  with  the  prior.  The  latter  asked 
him  who  he  was;  and  the  boy  dreamer  of  Genoa  —  for  it  was  he — told  him 
his  dream.  The  prior  was  a  geographer,  and  listened  to  the  wonderful  vision 
most  eagerly.  He  had  influence  with  the  Court,  and  promised  to  use  it  in  the 
interest  of  an  expedition  He  did  so;  but  a  decision  was  still  delayed. 

The  dreamer  now  wandered  over  Spain  in  poverty.  Though  poor  from  his 
youth,  he  had  a  royal  soul,  and  he  dared  stand  erect  in  the  presence  of  kings. 
People  now  called  him  a  "  visionary,"  and  laughed  at  his  rags.  The  children 
insulted  him  in  the  streets. 

"  See !  "  they  said,  "  he  is  touched  in  mind.  And  why  is  he  so  forlorn  and 
lonely  and  meanly  dressed?" 

Some  of  the  people  answered :  "  He  thinks  that  there  are  inhabitants  under 
the  earth." 

And  others:  "  He  thinks  that  the  earth  is  a  star." 

So  the  uncouth  laughed  at  him,  and  the  better-bred  pitied  him.  They  all 
seemed  to  pity  his  little  son.  But  the  good  prior  secured  for  him  the  ear  of 
the  Queen  at  last ;  and  she  became  so  much  interested  in  his  story  that  she  said 
that  she  would  be  willing  to  part  with  her  jewels  to  provide  for  him  ships  for 
such  an  expedition. 


FINDING   THE  ANTIPODES  OF   THE   WEST.  37 

It  is  Friday,  Aug.  3,  1492.  The  boy-dreamer  of  Genoa  is  now  upon  the 
sea  with  three  little  vessels,  over  which  float  the  banner  of  the  Cross  and  the 
double  crowns  of  Arragon  and  Castile.  The  ships  have  forced  crews,  and  they 
move  away  from  Palos  amid  wondering  eyes.  Night  comes,  and  from  the  deck 
of  the  caravel  the  dreamer  again  sees  the  Star  of  the  West.  An  Admiral 
now,  he  gazes  upon  it  as  when  a  bey.  The  same  questions  haunt  him. 

"  Let  us  sing,"  he  said  to  the  crew.  The  evening  hymn  to  the  Virgin 
arose. 

"  Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 

Help  our  weak  endeavor, 
Till  with  Thee  and  Jesus 
We  rejoice  forever." 

The  joy  of  the  Admiral,  as  he  found  himself  at  last  upon  the  sea  following 
the  Star  beneath  the  banner  of  the  Cross,  was  great.  His  soul  must  have  risen 
to  the  gates  of  Heaven  in  gratitude,  as  the  crews  sang,  — 

"Through  the  highest  heaven, 
To  the  Almighty  Three." 

The  ships  went  on.  They  passed  the  peak  of  Teneriffe,  whose  chimney  was 
pouring  forth  fire,  as  if  warning  the  sailors  of  perils  to  come.  But  the  lateen- 
sails  flew  onward.  Day  by  day  the  sun  rose  on  a  placid  sea,  and  night  by  night 
the  Evening  Star  burned  in  the  west,  and  the  crews  sang  the  hymn  to  the 
Virgin,  the  "  Star  of  Ocean."  Every  night  they  sang  this  hymn  when  rose 
the  Evening  Star;  and  the  dreamer  of  Genoa  dreamed  his  old  dreams,  and 
"  trusted  the  God  who  made  him,  and  followed  the  sea  that  was  silent." 

The  caravels  passed  the  Canaries,  the  last  known  land.  The  crews  shed 
tears  as  the  last  island  faded.  They  had  nothing  further  to  trust  but  the  faith 
in  the  soul  of  the  Admiral,  and  he  was  following  a  Star. 

On,  on,  amid  seas  as  calm  as  the  sheltered  currents  of  the  Guadalquivir, 
and  breezes  as  soft  as  "April's  in  Andalusia,"  the  Polar  Star  shining  nightly 
through  the  clear  air,  and  the  Evening  Star  as  often  appearing  amid  the  roses 
of  the  sunset,  and  the  crews  as  often  singing  the  old  Latin  hymn, — 

"  Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 
Portal  of  the  sky." 

Still  on  and  on.  Trade-winds,  dazzling  showers,  and  soft  calms.  A  cloud- 
bank  appeared.  The  crews  cried  "  Land  !  "  and  they  sang  the  "  Gloria."  But 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


the  cloud  lifted,  leaving  still  the  boundless,  empty  sea.     The  crews  wished  to 

turn  back.     But  the  Admiral  still  gazed  on  the  Star  of  the  Sea ;  he  felt  that  he 

was  walking  the  sea  by  faith,  and  that  faith  never  faltered. 

One  morning  strange  birds  came  and  hovered  around  the  mast.     One  of 

them  lit  upon  a  spar  and  sang  a  song.     It  was  a  land  bird ;  its  song  was  a  land 

song,  —  it  had  learned 
it  amid  the  trees.  The 
Admiral's  heart  beat 
quickly  as  he  listened. 
Had  the  bird  not  been 
sent  to  cheer  him?  Did 
not  its  song  say 
"  Hope"?  Might  not 
some  good  angel  have 
inspired  the  bird? 
Green  herbage  came 
drifting  over  the  sea, 
and  a  branch  of  thorn 
with  a  bunch  of  berries 
on  it,  —  an  olive  branch 
to  the  Admiral's  eye. 

"  Land  is  nigh,"  he 
said ;  "  we  shall  see  it 
in  the  morning." 

At  sunset  the  crews 


"LAND   IS   NIGH,"   HE  SAID;    "WE  SHALL   SEE  IT  IN 
THE   MORNING." 


sang  again,  — 

"  Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 
Portal  of  the  sky." 


The  evening  darkened,  and  the  Star  appeared.  The  Star  went  down ;  but 
the  mariners,  with  hearts  quivering  with  emotion,  gazed  on  in  the  star-lit  hours 
over  the  dark  sea.  A  far  light  appeared. 

Boom !  What  signal  was  that?  It  was  the  gun  of  the  "Pinta,"  the  leading 
ship ;  and  the  word  that  it  uttered  was  "  Land  !  " 

The  dream  of  the  dreamer  of  Genoa  was  now  becoming  a  reality. 

Morning  came ;  and  with  it  a  new  world,  —  no  more  a  vision,  but  a  very 
paradise  of  the  sea.  The  dreamer  had  solved  the  mystery  of  the  ocean.  He 
landed,  kissed  the  earth,  and  gave  thanks  to  God. 

Then  the  little  ships  went  on  again,  amid  the  Bahamas, — the  palmy  Edens 


FINDING   THE  ANTIPODES  OF  THE   WEST.  39 

of  the  Western  Seas,  —  amid  the  singing  of  birds,  the  sweet  smell  of  woods, 
and  the  odors  of  flowers.  And  the  Evening  Star  nightly  smiled  on  those  beauti- 
ful isles.  The  long  island  of  Cuba  was  passed,  with  its  palmy  shores  and  lofty 
mountains. 

They  came  to  Hispaniola.  It  was  near  Christmas,  and  the  thought  of  the 
Nativity  began  to  fill  the  soul  of  the  Admiral.  Had  he  not,  like  the  Magi  of 
old,  been  following  a  Star  by  faith  ;  and  had  not  his  faith  revealed  to  him  the 
very  counsels  of  Heaven  ? 

On  the  morning  of  the  24th  of  December  the  Admiral  set  sail  before  sun- 
rise, to  cross  the  calm  sea  to  visit  a  cacique  whose  acquaintance  he  had  made. 
The  caravel  made  little  progress,  —  the  breeze  was  so  light  and  the  sea  so  quiet. 
But  it  drifted  slowly  on.  Christmas  eve  was  approaching.  The  sun  hung  over 
the  isles,  the  palmy  crowns  of  the  seas,  as  though  itself  were  an  island  of 
fire  in  a  sea  of  dazzling  light,  —  a  far  gate  of  heaven  between  the  sea  and  the 
sky.  The  sunset  over  the  glimmering  islands  passed ;  then  came  the  afterglow, 
and  with  it  the  pure  face  of  the  Star  of  the  Sea. 

The  Admiral  —  a  man  certain  of  his  destiny  now,  the  viceroy  of  the  lands 
that  he  had  discovered  —  stood  on  the  light  deck  of  the  caravel  gazing  upon 
the  Star.  We  may  know,  from  what  he  afterward  wrote,  that  his  thoughts  turned 
toward  another  star,  —  the  Star  of  the  East.  The  Divine  Presence  had  long 
seemed  to  be  with  him ;  and  his  dream  now  was  of  the  Nativity,  and  of  those  of 
old  who  had  followed  a  Star  to  the  cradle  of  the  Lord.  When  he  had  gone  to 
Queen  Isabella,  he  had  promised  to  find  new  lands  for  the  Cross.  But  a  dream 
which  he  had  thought  even  more  glorious  had  often  passed  over  his  mind.  He 
aspired  to  accumulate  gold,  and  with  it  recover  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The 
islands  around  him  might  be  stored  with  mines  of  gold  and  treasures.  If  so, 
it  might  be  they  would  furnish  him  treasure  to  purchase  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
What  might  not  be  possible  to  him  to  whom  Heaven  had  revealed  so  much? 
The  Star  grew  brighter  and  brighter  in  the  fading  afterglow,  and  he  gazed  upon 
it  as  when  a  boy  at  Genoa.  It  stood  out  clear  and  splendid  against  the  dark- 
ness at  last,  and  slowly  descended  toward  the  sea.  He  dreamed,  as  before, 
wonderful  dreams ;  they  were  of  the  Orient  now.  He  did  not  know  that  the 
Star  had  led  him  to  the  cradle  lands  of  the  Church,  and  that  here  faith  would 
soon  lift  her  golden  domes  into  the  air.  How  strange  had  been  his  life!  How 
wonderful  it  must  have  seemed  this  Christmas  eve,  —  the  first  that  ever  a 
Christian  had  known  on  these  star-lit  waters !  "God  made  me,"  he  afterward 
said,  "  the  messenger  of  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  and  told  me  where 
to  find  them." 

Did  the  crew  sing  the  old  Latin  hymn  that  evening?     We  do  not  know. 


40  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

We  are  told  that  the  hymn  was  sung  every  evening  during  the  voyage  across 
the  sea.     If  this  Christmas  eve  it  were  sung,  how  wonderfully  poetic  it  must 

have  been !  - 

"  Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 

Portal  of  the  sky." 

So  passed  the  first  Christian  Christmas  eve  in  the  New  World. 

That  night  the  ship  received  an  injury  by  drifting  on  a  sand-bar,  and  was 
wrecked  in  the  silent  currents  of  the  waveless  star-lit  sea.  The  crew  and  the 
ship's  stores  were  saved,  and  the  first  Christmas  day  in  America  was  spent  by 
the  Viceroy  in  the  saving  of  the  wreck.  He  built  a  fortress  of  the  vessel  on  the 
shore.  The  vessel  bore  the  name  of  the  Virgin,  —  "  Santa  Maria." 

"  What  shall  the  castle  be  called?  "  asked  the  men. 

"  Navidad,"  said  the  Viceroy,  "  La  Navidad,  —  the  Fortress  of  the  Nativity. 
I  was  wrecked  and  saved  on  Christmas  day." 

He  sailed  away  from  the  Fortress  of  the  Nativity,  leaving  a  garrison  there, 
to  carry  the  wonderful  news  to  Spain.  The  learned  men  would  not  sneer  at 
him  now;  the  children  would  not  laugh  at  him  in  the  streets.  Such  a  triumph 
now  awaited  him  as  never  any  man  before  received.  He  would  pass  in  grand 
processions,  in  viceregal  pomp,  over  the  ways  where  he  had  wandered  in  pov- 
erty and  loneliness,  and  would  carry  a  light  heart  where  he  had  once  known 
only  heaviness  and  pain. 

The  boy-dreamer  of  Genoa  had  seen  the  Star  in  the  New  World.  He  had 
found  the  "  Ultima  Thule."  The  prophecy  in  his  young  heart  had  proved  true. 
The  earth  was  a  star. 

And  there  were  Antipodes. 

Some  months  ago  I  sailed  from  Tampa,  Florida,  and  arrived  near  sunset  in 
the  harbor  of  Havana.  It  was  too  late  to  land  that  night,  as  no  foreign  steamer 
is  allowed  to  land  after  sunset.  So  we  lay  in  the  beautiful  harbor  under  the 
guns  of  Moro  Castle,  the  white  city  before  us,  and  scores  of  little  boats  and 
noisy  boatmen  circling  around  us. 

It  was  Christmas  eve.  As  the  sun  set,  it  left  a  tropic  splendor  in  the 
sky.  The  city  began  to  darken  under  it,  and  lights  to  twinkle  on  the  rim  of 
the  sea.  The  towers  of  the  old  cathedrals  and  churches  rose  stately  and  grand 
against  the  glimmering  sky.  The  Cuban  pilot  pointed  to  one  of  these  old 
churches,  as  the  passengers  stood  on  the  deck,  and  said,  "  Colon." 

"That  is  the  church  where  he  is  buried,"  said  an  American. 

All  eyes  were  directed  toward  it  as  the  light  faded.  Its  antique  towers, 
like  two  giant  arms,  uplifted  two  crosses.  The  church  became  slowly  lost  to 


FINDING   THE   ANTIPODES  OF   THE    WEST. 


43 


view  in  the  shadows ;  but  over  it  hung  a  light,  like  the  eternal  lamp  over  an 
altar,  which  grew  more  clear  as  the  evening  dusk  followed  the  glow  in  the  sky. 

It  was  the  Star,  — 

"Gentle  Star  of  Ocean, 
Portal  of  the  sky." 

The  city  grew  bright  with  illuminations,  and  the  Christmas  bells  began  to 
ring.  I  could  but  recall  the  grand  words  of  the  prophet  of  the  seas,  to  whose 
dust  we  seemed  so  near :  "  God  made  me  the  messenger  of  the  new  heavens 
and  the  new  earth,  and  told  me  where  to  find  them.  Human  reason,  mathe- 
matics, and  charts  availed  me  nothing." 

There  were  Antipodes ;  and  the  Antipodes  of  the  Antilles  are  the 
islands  and  peninsulas  of  the  far  Indian  seas. 


CHAPTER    III. 

COUSIN   IVORY,  AND   A   LETTER  FROM   SIAM. 

HAD  written  to  Cousin  Ivory  about  my  chieftain- 
ship of  the  Anti-Bear  Club,  and  my  various 
exploits  in  the  destruction  of  animals  and  birds, 
and  I  supposed  that  he  would  be  greatly  inter- 
ested in  these  adventures,  and  would  return  to 
me  letters  full  of  like  episodes  in  the  wonderful 
lands  and  islands  of  the  Antipodes.  In  those  far 
heathen  countries  I  felt  sure  that  the  destruction 
of  animals  and  birds  must  be  a  common  experience,  and  that  his  adven- 
tures must  quite  outdo  those  pictured  in  boys'  books  relating  to  our 
Western  Territories,  to  the  Amazons,  and  to  Africa.  I  was  therefore 
somewhat  surprised  to  receive  the  following  letter,  and  to  note  in  what 
a  different  spirit  it  was  written  from  my  own  letter  to  which  it  was  an 
answer.  The  letter  was  written  on  a  small  ship  in  the  river  Meinam, 
on  which  Ivory  had  taken  passage  from  Sumatra  to  Bangkok.  Over 
the  date  of  the  letter  was  a  pleasing  title  to  the  contents,  as  though 
from  the  letter  might  be  expected  a  story.  This  title  was  — 


THE   IMITATIVE   MONKEYS. 

It  is  a  glowing  afternoon  in  May,  and  I  have  entered  the  Meinam,  and  am 
within  some  twenty  miles  of  Bangkok,  the  great  city  of  temples,  palaces,  and 
idols.  Above  me  flies  the  flag  of  Siam,  a  white  elephant  on  a  ground  of  red. 
There  is  a  company  of  Siamese  musicians  on  board ;  and  as  we  have  drifted 
along  through  the  bright  atmosphere  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  the  men  have  been 
singing.  The  song  is  monotonous,  strange,  and  wild.  Over  and  over  again,  the 


COUSIN  IVORY,  AND  A    LETTER  FROM  SIAM. 


47 


men  have  sung  it  or  howled  it.  It  has  made  me  nervous,  and  yet  there  are  some 
sweet  passages  in  it. 

11  What  is  it  all  about?"  I  asked  the  captain. 

44  They  are  to  sing  it  on  some  great  occasion  of  State  in  Bangkok.  It  is 
an  ode." 

"To  whom?" 

"To  the  White  Elephant." 


"To  whom  are  they  to  sing  it  in  Bangkok?" 

"To  him." 

" The  King,  —  the  royal  family? " 

"  No,  no,  to  him.     It  is  a  hymn  to  him." 

"Who  \shim?" 

"  Why,  the  Elephant,  to  be  sure." 

"The  Elephant!     But  why  should  they  sing  to  an  elephant? " 

"  He  is  sacred." 

"Why  sacred?" 

"  Buddha  himself  was  once  an  elephant " 


48  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES, 

"  But  I  thought  he  was  a  teacher." 

"  So  he  was ;  but  in  his  transmigration  he  was  once  reborn  as  an  elephant 
The  elephant  was  one  of  the  stages  of  his  spiritual  progress  up  to  the  highest 
manhood  and  to  divinity." 

I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  splendor  of  this  tropical  afternoon.  The  Gulf  is 
a  glimmer  of  light,  and  the  air  is  like  a  great  ocean  of  transcendent  brightness. 
The  sky  seems  of  infinite  height,  with  here  and  there  the  white  fragment  of  a 
cloud  drifting  aimlessly  like  a  wandering  bird.  The  jungles  are  in  full  view,  and 
we  are  sailing  near  the  shore.  The  feathery  plumes  of  the  areca  palm  give  a 
fanciful  appearance  to  the  shore,  and  here  and  there  a  bamboo  house  on  poles 
excites  the  attention  of  an  English  family  on  board. 

"Do  people  live  in  the  air  here?"  asks  one  of  the  English  children. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  mother,  "  and  in  the  sea  too.     Look  !  " 

A  house  on  a  raft  comes  drifting  by.  From  time  to  time  a  lofty  structure 
flashes  into  the  sun  and  disappears  behind  the  curtain  of  the  foliage.  It  is  a 
temple.  Boats  multiply.  There  is  a  strange  glimmer  in  the  air  afar.  A  bald- 
headed  priest  in  an  orange  scarf  points  toward  the  dazzling  light  and  says, 
"  Bangkok." 

On  the  banks  of  the  stream  I  have  just  seen  two  graceful  white  pelicans 
watching  for  fish.  \  took  out  my  revolver  and  pointed  it  at  one  of  them,  when 
the  bald-headed  priest  very  gently  laid  his  hand  upon  mine. 

"Why?" 

"Why?"  I  could  not  answer.  Why  did  there  rise  within  me  the  desire  to 
shoot  the  white  pelican?  Why?  Because  I  was  an  American.  But  I  was  the 
son  of  a  missionary,  and  I  felt  a  sense  of  humiliation  at  being  reproved  by  a 
Buddhist  priest.  I  must  make  some  answer,  and  so  I  said  confidently,  "  For 
the  same  reason  that  the  pelican  seeks  the  life  of  the  fish." 

"  Are  you  a  pelican,  my  boy?  " 

I  shook  my  head.  The  boat  glided  along,  leaving  the  pelican  alive  and  the 
priest's  face  serene  and  happy.  The  English  family  smiled  at  the  episode. 

"The  old  priest  means  well,"  said  I,  "  but  I  did  n't  come  here  to  learn  morals 
from  a  heathen." 

"  We  should  always  be  willing  to  learn  morals  from  those  who  have  better 
morals,"  said  the  English  lady.  "  Missionaries  can  teach  the  Siamese  a  better 
spiritual,  moral,  and  social  life.  They  should  do  so,  as  your  father  is  doing. 
The  Gospel  is  needed  nowhere  more  than  in  Siam.  The  women  need  it,  the 
children  need  it,  the  future  needs  it.  But  if  we  find  anything  in  Siamese  life 
that  teaches  a  kinder  heart  than  ours,  we  should  accept  it;  for  truth  is  truth, 
wherever  found." 


COUSIN  IVORY,  AND  A   LETTER  FROM  SI  AM. 


49 


HE   "POINTS   TOWARD   THE   DAZZLING   LIGHT   AND   SAYS,   ^BANGKOK.'" 

I  am  not  sorry  that  I  left  the  pelican  alive. 

We  drift  along.  The  musicians  are  singing  again.  I  recall  now  that  my 
father  used  to  tell  me  about  the  songs  to  the  White  Elephant,  but  I  never  heard 
one  before.  I  also  recall  that  I  used  to  hear  my  father  say,  "  All  life  here  is 
sacred  ;  you  must  not  kill  anything,  my  son.  It  would  hinder  me  in  my  work." 

The  afternoon  grows  more  glorious.  The  air  is  luscious.  The  current  is 
swift,  and  the  tide  is  rising.  Airy  forests  —  oh,  how  beautiful!  —  cover  the 
distant  landscapes,  and  immense  fern-leaves  border  and  fringe  the  shores. 

We  have  passed  near  the  shore  on  the  high  tide,  and  have  had  an  amusing 
experience  with  a  gray-whiskered  patriarch  of  a  monkey  and  his  family.  He 
came  down  the  trees  within  a  stone's-throw  of  the  ship,  and  began  to  imitate 
things  that  he  saw  the  crew  doing ;  and  his  tribe  or  family,  a  dozen  or  more  in 
number,  in  turn  imitated  him.  I  looked  at  him  through  my  hands  doubled  like 
a  telescope  barrel ;  he  tried  to  do  the  same,  and  the  others  followed.  I  bowed 
to  him,  making  a  face.  He  nodded  his  head  and  outdid  me  at  a  grimace,  as 
did  all  the  rest.  I  tossed  an  orange  toward  the  shore,  but  it  fell  into  the  water. 
This  he  could  not  imitate ;  but  in  return  he  made  a  face  at  me,  as  did  all.  It 
was  a  comical  sight.  The  captain  came  on  deck  smoking  a  cigar.  The  old 

4 


50  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

ape  saw  it,  and  seizing  a  stick  broke  off  a  part  of  it  and  put  it  into  his  mouth. 
The  others  followed.     I  was  amused. 

"Wait  a  minute;  I  'II  fix  them,"  said  I.  I  had  in  my  valise  some  Chinese 
powder-crackers  of  large  size,  sometimes  called  in  America  cannon  crackers. 
I  handed  several  of  these  to  the  crew,  and  lit  the  long  fuse  of  the  one  that  I 
held  in  my  hand. 

"  Put  the  crackers  in  your  mouths  like  cigars,"  I  said  to  my  friends.  "  I  am 
going  to  toss  this  on  shore  to  the  monkeys." 

I  threw  the  lighted  cracker  shoreward,  and  the  old  ape  ran  down  the  trees 
and  rescued  it  from  the  very  verge  of  the  water.  He  ran  with  it  up  into  the 
trees,  and  seemed  delighted. 

"Now!  "said  I. 

My  friends  and  myself  put  the  unlighted  crackers  into  our  mouths  like 
rigars.  The  old  ape  did  the  same  in  a  very  happy  state  of  mind.  The  other 
apes  imitated  him  with  broken  sticks.  The  fuse  burned  slowly,  and  the  old 
ape  and  his  followers  seemed  not  a  little  nervous  at  the  smell  of  the  hemp. 
Our  interest  grew  intense ;  and  the  monkeys,  too,  as  by  a  kind  of  nervous  sym- 
pathy, seemed  excited.  Just  then  the  old  priest  lifted  his  head  above  the  deck, 
and  saw  what  we  were  doing. 

"  My  boy  !  " 

It  was  too  late.  The  monkeys  were  seated  in  a  row,  and  seemed  to  be  a 
little  sceptical  that  all  might  not  be  quite  right. 

Bang !  The  transformation  was  like  lightning.  If  ever  living  beings  van- 
ished in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  it  was  then.  The  old  ape  at  first  dropped  as 
though  shot ;  then  uttered  a  cry,  for  his  face  must  have  been  burned  and  his 
eyes  were  filled  with  smoke.  The  others  never  stopped  a  moment  to  see  his 
fate.  They  went  out  of  sight  in  a  dozen  or  more  long  dark  streaks.  The  cries 
of  the  old  ape  were  most  pitiful  to  hear. 

"  You  have  injured  his  eyes,"  said  the  bald-headed  priest.     "  Ah !  he  will 
never  enjoy  these  beautiful   scenes   again.     You   have  robbed   him,  my  boy. 
Those  eyes, —  who  gave  them?     You  cannot  give  them  back.     The  jungles,  - 
who  gave  them  to  him?     Can  you  make  him  see  them  as  before?     Sight  was 
his;  't  was  his  right.     You  had  no  right  to  deceive  him;   his  soul  was  once 
man's  like  yours." 

"  No  right  to  deceive  a  monkey?  "  I  said. 
'  No ;  you  have  no  more  right  to  deceive  an  animal  than  a  child.     Where 
were  you  born  ?  " 

I  declare  I  was  ashamed  to  tell  him,  he  looked  so  sincere,  benevolent,  and 
heart-broken. 


A    PATRIARCH   OF    A   MONKEY   AND   HIS   FAMILY. 


COUSIN  IVORY,  AND  A    LETTER  FROM  SIAM. 


53 


"  Poor  fellow !  poor  fellow !  "  said  he,  referring  to  the  monkey.  "  All  this 
beauty  made  for  him,  and  perhaps  he  is  all  darkness  now,  —  all  gone.  Poor 
fellow !  poor  fellow !  " 

It  made  my  conscience  burn  like  fire.  I  do  not  know  that  I  permanently 
injured  the  old  ape's  sight.  I  only  meant  the  act  for  a  joke,  and  had  no  evil 
intention.  I  said  so;  but  the  sorrowful  priest  only  said, — 

"  That  will  not  help  his  eyes." 


"THF.    MORNING   WILL   FIND   US   IN   BANGKOK." 

I  instinctively  felt  that  the  old  priest  was  right.     Why  should  I  delight  to 
deprive  any  living  being  of  its  natural  rights  or  enjoyments? 

It  is  now  twilight,  a  blaze  of  splendor;  temples  are  shining  afar,  and  now  — 
oh,  how  suddenly !  — the  shadows  are  falling  and  people  are  lighting  the  lamps. 
Night  comes  as  it  were  at  once  in  these  living  atmospheres ;  the  tropic  sun  is 
extinguished  like  a  torch.  I  can  feel  the  cool  breath  of  the  great  trees  of  the 
shore,  though  the  jungle  is  already  darkness.  The  stars  are  appearing.  They 
arc  like  electric  stars.  They  seem  to  hang  in  the  deep,  pure  air.  And  now 
appears  a  wonder.  The  trees  along  the  shore,  every  few  minutes,  seem  to  be 
illuminated  as  though  covered  with  little  stars;  then  they  are  dark  again.  I 


54  ZJGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

watch  these  strange  trees.  I  hear  the  sound  of  night-birds  and  trumpet  beetles. 
Then  the  trees  blaze  again  like  a  cloud  of  fire.  Now  they  are  dark.  "  What 
is  it?  "  you  ask.  So  did  I  when  I  first  saw  the  wonder  when  a  boy.  Fireflies, — 
armies  of  fireflies.  They  obey  their  leader  like  an  army;  when  he  gives  the 
signal  they  all  shine.  High  towers  are  glimmering  under  the  stars.  There  is 
a  great  circle  of  glimmering  lamps  and  the  odor  of  cocoanut  oil.  Here  and 
there  are  dark  masts.  Here  boats  with  music  and  merry  voices ;  there  houses 
in  the  air  with  twinkling  lamps  and  liquid  music.  The  morning  will  find  us  in 
Bangkok. 

I  should  enjoy  it  all  better  were  I  sure  that  I  had  not  injured  the  poor  old 
monkey's  eyes.  The  priest  is  now  looking  at  me  under  the  lamplight.  He 
evidently  regards  me  as  a  monster.  Am  I  so  bad,  or  is  it  because  he  is  a 
heathen?  Really,  I  do  pity  the  poor  old  monkey.  No  philosophy  will  help 
him  if  I  have  injured  him,  which  I  hope  I  have  not.  Good-night. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


A   CITY    RULED   BY   AN    ELEPHANT. 


HE  next  letter  that  I  received  from  Cousin  Ivory 
related  to  Bangkok,  the  great  city  of  Siam ;  and 
its  incidents  of  animal  life  were  still  more  novel 
and  wonderful.  Could  I  believe  it,  —  a  great 
city  of  modern  date  governed  by  an  elephant ! 

"  The  flag  of  the  White  Elephant  floats  over  me," 
he  said,  "  and  I  am  now  in  a  city  of  Buddha  whose 
god  is  the  White  Elephant.  In  fact,  the  White  Ele- 
phant may  be  said  to  govern  the  city,  for  the  two  kings  themselves  worship 
him.  The  priests  bow  down  to  him,  and  the  people  approach  him  on  their 
knees.  Queerly  enough,  I  might  almost  truly  say  that  in  this  city  the  animals 
rule. 

Why  the  White  Elephant?  In  the  many  transmigrations  of  the  soul  of 
Buddha,  in  his  long  journey  to  the  regions  of  perfect  bliss  and  peace,  he  was, 
according  to  the  Buddhist  myths,  once  reborn  as  a  white  elephant.  This  birth 
indicated  great  progress  in  the  spiritual  life.  Hence  the  White  Elephant  is 
believed  to  be  the  rebirth  of  some  great  and  noble  soul,  in  its  stages  of  progress 
towards  the  blissful  state  where  all  desires  shall  end  in  perfect  peace.  For,,  you 
know,  the  Buddhists  believe  that  men  are  reborn  according  to  merit.  A  bad 
man  might  be  reborn  as  one  of  the  meanest  and  most  despised  of  animals ; 
a  man  of  some  virtues  and  some  evil  habits,  as  a  common  animal :  but  a  man 
who  had  made  progress  or  merit  in  this  life  would  be  reborn,  if  an  animal  at 
all,  as  a  very  noble  animal;  and  the  noblest  animal  on  earth,  according  to  the 
Buddhist,  is  the  White  Elephant,  because  Buddha  himself,  in  his  progress,  was 
once  a  white  elephant. 

But  in  what  sense,  you  ask,  may  the  White  Elephant  be  said  to  rule  this 
beautiful  city? 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 


The  Buddhists  believe  in  merit,  or  what  we  would  call  good  deeds.  The 
easy  way  of  obtaining  merit  is  by  offerings  to  idols  and  idol-temples ;  and  no 
merit-worship,  to  the  Siamese,  can  be  more  delightful  than  that  of  the  White 
Elephant.  Merit  is  believed  to  be  the  means  of  spiritual  progress  in  another 
world,  or  to  a  rebirth  in  a  higher  sphere. 

So  the  flag  of  the  White  Elephant  floats  over  the  tropical  city,  buried  in 

graceful  palms  and 
trees.  So  the  great 
festivals  of  the  city 
are  those  of  the  White 
Elephant ;  and  kings 
and  princes  approach 
the  stables  of  the  White 
Elephants  with  awe, 
and  the  people  gain 
merit  by  their  offerings 
to  the  noble  beasts. 
Bangkok  is,  or  was, 
the  City  of  the  White 
Elephant. 

All  animals  are  sa- 
cred here,  as  I  have 
said,  for  they  are  be- 
lieved to  be  but  the 
rebirth  of  souls.  The 

friendship  between  men  and  animals  is  something  beautiful,  apart  from  the 
superstition  from  which  it  arises.  I  have  often  asked,  Why  should  not  this 
spirit  prevail  everywhere  without  superstition?  I  am  not  turning  Buddhist,  but 
I  have  been  made  to  see  here  that  there  is  something  that  makes  men  better  in 
friendly  relations  with  animals. 

Take  my  arm,  Marlow,  and  we  will  visit  the  city  in  fancy,  and  I  will  go  with 
you  in  my  recollections  to  the  places  I  have  visited,  and  we  will  at  last  pay  our 
devotions  to  his  Majesty  the  White  Elephant.  We  will  start  by  water;  for 
Bangkok  is  like  Venice,  and  the  Broadway  of  the  city  is  the  placid  Meinam, 
where  boats  are  as  thick  as  vehicles  in  New  York. 

The  great  wat,  or  temple,  rises  like  a  mountain  of  gold  over  all.  There  are 
some  two  hundred  temples  in  the  city,  but  this  is  the  temple  of  temples.  How 
its  tiles  shine  in  the  clear  air,  and  its  front  blazes  with  gold !  It  covers  a  colos- 
sal image  of  Buddha.  See  the  yellow-robed  priests  as  we  pass ! 


"FOR,   YOU    KNOW,   THE   BUDDHISTS   BELIEVE  THAT   MEN    ARE 
REBORN    ACCORDING   TO    MERIT." 


A    CITY  RULED  BY  AN  ELEPHANT. 


59 


"  Their  heads  are  shaved,"  you  say.  Yes ;  and  their  eyebrows,  too.  There 
used  to  be  ten  thousand  priests  in  the  city,  all  dependent  on  charity ;  but  their 
numbers  are  less  now,  and  will  be  less  in  the  future. 

Mark  the  boats  in  the  river,  like  carts  on  a  street !  See  the  market-boats, 
loaded  with  vegetables ;  see  the  little  boats  of  the  children ! 

And  the  flags,  —  how  beautiful  they  are  in  the  tropic  sunshine  !  Which  is 
the  handsomest?  The  English?  No.  The  Tricolor?  No.  The  White  Ele- 
phant? No.  The  Stars  and  Stripes?  Yes;  and  we  would  say  so  were  we  not 
Americans.  The  sails  of  commerce  bear  the  Cross,  and  it  is  that  flag  that  is 
changing  Siam.  It  is  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  that  flag  that  will  one  day 
crumble  the  temples  and  cause  superstition  to  fade  away. 

See  the  floating  houses !  Was  there  ever  so  strange  a  city?  Venice  has 
water  streets,  but  not  floating  dwellings.  It  is  true  they  are  anchored,  but  they 
rise  and  fall  with  the  tide.  Sometimes  a  house  loses  its  anchorage,  or  its  post, 
and  drifts  away  up  or  down  the  river.  It  must  be  an  odd  thing  to  lose  one's 
house  in  such  a  way,  —  for  a  man  to  come  home  to  his  family  and  find  his 
house  gone  up  the  river. 

And  floating  restaurants !  Let  us  stop  and  take  a  meal.  What  shall  it  be? 
Steaks ;  fowl ;  hot  rice ;  all  manner  of  fruits  and  vegetables. 

The  wonders  increase.  What  glittering  temples  rise  out  of  the  green 
billows  of  trees !  Picturesque  Chinese  meet  our  eyes  everywhere,  —  going 
to  trade,  perhaps.  The  Chinese  have  a  bazaar  which  is  said  to  be  a  mile 
long. 

Now  we  are  near  the  palace.  It  is  enclosed  by  a  wall  about  a  mile  in 
circumference.  Near  it  are  the  palaces  of  the  White  Elephants. 

"  Never  mind  the  King  and  his  palace,"  I  hear  you  say.  "  Let  us  leave 
our  boat  and  visit  the  elephants." 

But  the  palace  itself  is  a  wonder,  not  so  much  in  its  splendor  as  in  its  ex- 
tent. It  is  a  town  of  palaces;  and  the  harem  itself,  where  the  wives  of  the 
King  live,  is  also  a  town.  The  area  of  land  within  the  palace  walls  comprises 
nearly  fifty  acres,  and  within  it  lives  a  household  of  more  than  five  thousand 
persons.  The  former  kings  had  hundreds  of  wives,  but  with  the  progress  of 
Eastern  ideas  the  royal  household  has  diminished. 

The  stables,  or  palaces,  of  the  White  Elephants  are  near  the  palace,  —  a 
block  of  buildings  near  the  arsenal.  Each  elephant  has  his  own  apartment, 
with  attendants  and  grooms  who  never  leave  him,  day  or  night.  The  apart- 
ments are  lofty;  and  at  one  end  is  an  image  of  Buddha,  with  lamps  continually 
burning  before  it.  Over  the  door  of  each  apartment  is  the  name  of  the 
elephant,  and  his  royal  titles. 


6o  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

The  royal  beast  stands  on  a  pedestal.  He  is  not  white,  but  of  a  dusky 
gray  color.  He  has  rings  of  gold  on  his  tusks,  and  is  fastened  to  a  golden  post 
by  ropes  covered  with  crimson. 

But  what  is  about  to  happen?  Men  are  approaching  him  with  silver  salvers 
on  their  knees.  On  the  salvers  are  bananas  and  sugar-cane  and  luscious  fruit. 
He  proudly  takes  these  offerings  from  the  creeping  human  beings,  who  feel  that 
they  have  made  merit  for  another  world. 

Again  they  approach  him  !  This  time  with  small  bundles  of  grass  in  silver 
dishes.  He  receives  it  as  before.  More  merit!  The  celestial  world  grows 
brighter  to  the  fancy  of  the  creepers,  for  all  these  deeds.  Buddha  must  love 
them  all,  for  was  he  not  once  an  elephant? 

He  has  eaten !  Now  one  of  the  devotees  raises  a  long  iron  comb  and 
scratches  him.  More  merit!  Another  wipes  his  eyes.  He  is  given  a  sponge- 
bath  many  times  a  day. 

When  the  King  comes  to  visit  and  worship  him,  he  trumpets.  There  was 
recently  placed  in  the  stables  a  very  democratic  young  elephant,  that  trum- 
peted when  any  well-dressed  stranger  came  to  visit  him.  He  evidently  had 
caught  the  spirit  of  progress. 

The  population  of  Bangkok  is  some  half-million  of  souls,  nearly  one  half 
of  whom  are  Chinese.  It  is  a  city  of  gardens,  temples,  and  palaces,  of  floating 
houses,  and  of  simple  dwellings  innumerable,  with  airy  balconies  buried  in 
palms  and  trees.  Most  of  the  latter  are  made  of  bamboo,  and  roofed  with 
the  leaves  of  the  atap  palm.  The  walls  of  the  city  describe  a  circumference 
of  some  five  miles. 

Let  us  ascend  to  an  elevation  of  about  one  hundred  feet,  and  look  down 
upon  the  swarming  city  and  river  and  canals.  At  first  it  looks  like  a  tropical 
forest.  The  foliage  is  the  richest  in  any  city  on  earth.  Cocoanut-trees,  betel, 
palmyra,  tamarind,  mingle  their  greenery,  flowers,  or  fruit ;  and  we  see  through 
them  the  great  hive  of  human  life,  as  one  sees  the  apiary  through  a  garden. 
The  glistening  river  seems  to  form  the  letter  S.  It  swarms  with  water-craft. 
The  temples  rise  out  of  the  garden  of  the  city,  and  shine  in  the  pure  air. 
Beautiful,  beautiful,  is  Bangkok,  the  City  of  the  White  Elephant ! 

Ivory's  next  letter  was  even  more  interesting ;    it  described  — 


£ 

d 
a 
Q 
X 

o 


A    CITY  RULED  BY  AN  ELEPHANT  63 


HOW   THEY   ENTRAP   THE   WHITE   ELEPHANTS   IN   SIAM. 

One  bright,  sunny  morning  in  that  most  delightful  of  all  months  in 
India,  the  cool  month  of  November,  1862,  a  report  was  brought  into  the 
royal  palace  of  Bangkok  that  a  white  elephant  had  been  seen  in  the  forest  of 
Ayudhya. 

If  an  angel  had  appeared  in  the  midst  of  the  royal  household,  or  if  a  star 
had  fallen  from  its  place  in  the  heavens,  they  could  not  have  expressed  more 
frantic  delight.  As  I  was  going  quietly  to  my  school-room  table  on  that 
eventful  morning,  a  number  of  my  little  pupils  rushed  up  frantically  to  me, 
crying,  "  He  is  come,  he  is  come!  Oh,  oh!  How  nice,  how  nice!  " 

"Who  is  come?"  said  I,  thinking  it  must  be  a  great  prince  from  some- 
distant  country. 

"  The  White  Elephant,  the  White  Elephant,  our  dear  guardian  angel !  " 
echoed  all  the  voices  at  once.  It  was  impossible  to  repress  a  smile.  But  the 
joy  was  not  confined  to  the  royal  household  alone.  The  glad  news  spread  like 
wildfire  over  the  country ;  and  King  and  peasant,  master  and  slave,  young  and 
old,  even  the  old  dames  and  little  toddling  infants  of  a  year  old,  took  up  the 
good  news  and  proclaimed  it  from  place  to  place, crying,  "Chang  poouk  ma  loa, 
Chang  poouk  ma  loa!  "  —  "  The  White  Elephant  has  come,  the  White  Elephant 
has  come !  "  Prayers  and  offerings  were  immediately  made  in  all  the  temples  ; 
and  the  town-crier,  who  shouted  the  wondrous  fact  to  the  people,  had  offerings 
of  money,  cloth,  rice,  and  oil  made  to  him. 

Seventy-five  royal  barges  and  a  hundred  boats,  filled  with  members  of  the 
King's  family,  Amazons,  etc.,  with  provisions  for  a  week's  stay,  were  made 
ready  that  very  evening.  I  also  solicited  permission  to  join  the  royal  party ; 
and  before  sunset  we  were  all  off,  amid  firing  of  guns,  and  shouts  of  the  people 
from  far  and  near,  to  see  the  precious  beast  entrapped  and  brought  in  triumph 
to  the  city  of  Bangkok,  where  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  guardian  angel  sent 
from  heaven  to  the  kingdom  which  is  called,  after  him,  the  Kingdom  of  the 
White  Elephant. 

My  young  readers  must  know  that  there  is  near  the  forest  of  Ayudhya,  a 
spot  prepared  for  entrapping  wild  elephants  of  all  kinds,  which  are  afterward 
trained  for  hunting  and  war,  and  also  for  travelling  through  the  mountains  and 
unexplored  regions  round  about  Siam.  This  place  is  called  a  kraal,  and  is 
formed  of  heavy  piles  of  wood  driven  into  the  ground,  in  a  circle  from  three 
to  four  miles  in  extent. 

On  tf»e  south  of  the  kraal  at  Ayudhya  were  a  number  of  buildings  raised 


$4  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

about  twenty-five  feet  above  the  ground,  the  lower  part  being  entirely  com- 
posed of  strong  posts,  where  the  elephant-hunters  live,  and  whence  they 
traverse  the  forest  at  stated  seasons  in  quest  of  wild  beasts,  such  as  the  rhi- 
noceros, the  wild  boar,  wolves,  panthers,  tigers,  and  wild  elephants,  which 
abound  in  them.  On  the  north  side  there  was  erected  a  temporary  palace  for 


DRIVING   WILD   ELEPHANTS   INTO   THE   KRAAL. 


the  King  and  his  party,  who  generally  came  out  here  once  a  year  to  see  the 
sport. 

Only  a  few  large  trees  are  allowed  to  occupy  the  space  enclosed  for  a 
kraal;  the  ground  is  cleared,  and  made  perfectly  hard  and  dry,  and  the  piles 
are  driven  in  so  closely,  and  are  so  strong,  that  they  withstand  the  most  furious 
exertions  often  made  by  the  beasts,  when  caught,  to  tear  them  up.  The  open- 
ing to  the  kraal  is  a  very  curious  contrivance.  When  the  wild  beast  pushes 
against  it  on  the  outer  side,  it  gives  way  at  once ;  but  from  the  inner  side,  the 
more  it  is  pressed  against,  the  more  invincible  it  becomes. 

After  leaving  our  boats  at  the  city  of  Ayudhya,  next  morning  we  rode  some 
miles  on  horseback,  through  a  beautiful  country,  to  the  spot  where  the  kraal 
stands,  accompanied  by  a  great  retinue,  with  flags  flying,  drums  beating,  and 


A    CITY  RULED  BY  AN  ELEPHANT.  67 

heralds  on  horse  going  before  to  clear  the  royal  way.  Fortunately  it  was  a 
clear  day,  and  we  could  see  a  great  distance.  Arrived  at  the  King's  palace,  we 
mounted  a  steep  flight  of  stairs  that  led  us  to  a  pavilion,  or  open  tower,  about 
two  hundred  feet  from  the  ground,  whence  we  could  command  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  wide  country  about  us.  Adjoining  the  tower  was  a  large  chamber, 
which  held  nothing  but  one  huge  drum ;  and  round  it  we  stationed  no  less  than 
twelve  men,  who  struck  it  simultaneously  with  immense  drum-sticks. 

Right  in  front  of  the  pavilion  below,  were  ranged,  in  regular  order,  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  hunting  elephants,  and  on  each  were  seated  two  men,  —  one  at  the 
back,  the  driver,  with  his  long  goad,  or  forked  spear,  in  his  hand,  to  urge  the 
beast  to  the  onslaught ;  and  the  other  the  hunter,  armed  with  lances,  spears, 
and  a  quiver  attached  to  his  seat,  full  of  arrows,  ready  to  be  discharged  at  a 
moment's  notice. 

The  moment  this  formidable-looking  hunting-party  saw  the  royal  assembly, 
they  wheeled  round,  and  formed  a  semicircle ;  then  each  hunter  raised  aloft  his 
spear  and  saluted  the  King.  After  which  each  of  the  drivers  gave  the  word 
of  command  in  a  deep,  loud  voice  to  his  elephant  to  do  the  same  to  the  King. 
No  sooner  was  the  word  spoken  than  each  beast  lifted  its  heavy  trunk  in  the 
air,  and  brought  it  solemnly  down  to  the  earth.  I  never  saw  a  more  comical 
sight  than  this  elephant  salutation  to  the  King  of  Siam. 

This  done,  the  colossal  drum  from  the  adjoining  chamber  thundered  out 
the  signal  for  the  hunt  to  begin.  Away  went  the  mighty  company  of  hunters, 
one  half  on  one,  and  one  half  on  the  opposite  side,  darting  off  in  a  semicircle 
to  scour  the  forest  where  the  White  Elephant  had  been  seen  grazing  with  a 
troop  of  black  ones. 

It  was  a  very  exciting  sight,  —  these  elephants  now  appearing,  now  disappear- 
ing through  the  trees,  the  drivers  goading  them  on,  and  the  hunters  all  ready, 
spear  in  hand,  prepared  to  strike.  Round  and  round  they  careered,  each  time 
decreasing  the  circle  of  their  movements,  and  hemming  in  the  wild  beasts  into 
a  smaller  and  smaller  compass. 

Now  we  could  see  them  distinctly,  and  then  we  could  only  tell  where  they 
were  by  their  loud  shouts  of  "  Mahkhc,  mahkhe !  "  — "  Come  nearer,  come 
nearer !  "  Then  came  a  terrific  succession  of  wild  yells  from  the  beasts, 
followed  by  fresh  cries  from  the  hunters  of  "  Don't  let  them  escape !  don't  let 
them  escape !  "  which  were  lost  almost  as  soon  as  heard,  amid  a  deafening  peal 
of  bugles  and  horns  and  trumpets. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  troop  of  wild  elephants,  more  deafening  grew 
the  shouts,  till  finally  we  could  see  the  beasts  plunging  madly  round  and  round, 
amid  a  perfect  circle,  formed  by  the  hunters  on  their  beasts.  All  at  once,  one 


68  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

tremendous  black  creature  thought  he  saw  an  opening  close  by,  made  a  wild 
bound  head-foremost,  and  pushed  through  the  gate  of  the  kraal.  In  plunged 
the  whole  gang,  shrieking,  with  their  trunks  thrown  high  up  in  the  air  after 
them  ;  and  the  heavy  bar,  which  gave  way  at  their  slightest  touch,  now  fell  back, 
and  held  about  thirty  furious  mad  beasts  safe  prisoners. 

The  hunt  was  over,  and  it  was  almost  noon.  Wherever  we  turned  our  eyes, 
there  were  the  wild  beasts,  howling  and  shrieking,  running  hither  and  thither, 
lashing  the  stolid  posts  with  their  trunks,  twisting  them  round,  and  trying  to 
uproot  them,  but  all  in  vain.  The  sun  set;  and  the  weary  beasts,  tired  with 
their  violent  exertions,  finally  huddled  close  together  with  the  White,  or  rather 
salmon-colored,  Elephant  in  their  midst,  as  if  drawn  together  for  comfort  and 
support  in  their  sad  captivity. 

The  next  morning  the  captured  troop  of  elephants  began  the  day  with  fresh 
and  desperate  efforts  to  free  themselves.  But  toward  the  afternoon  they  seemed 
perfectly  quiet.  Beginning  to  grow  faint  and  weak  from  hunger,  they  finally 
commenced  to  break  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  tried  to  eat  the  leaves. 

This  was  a  sign  for  the  hunters  and  the  tame  elephants  to  go  in.  About 
sixty  men,  bearing  fine  grass,  cut  and  prepared,  and  heaps  of  sugar-cane,  —  which 
delights  elephants  as  much  as  sugar  candy  does  any  little  child,  —  and  chains 
wherewith  to  fasten  them,  followed  the  hunters  into  the  kraal.  The  latter  let 
the  tame  beasts  loose,  and,  standing  a  little  way  off,  offered  bits  of  grass  or 
sugar-cane  to  the  poor,  starving  beasts. 

In  a  moment  they  all  flocked  round  these  men,  and  began  to  feed.  If  any 
of  them  showed  any  symptoms  of  impatience,  or  snatched  the  food  too  greedily 
from  the  hunter's  hands,  he  withheld  the  dainties,  and  dealt  them  fierce  blows 
instead.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  these  wild  beasts  of  the  forests  took  what 
was  given  to  them  without  snatching,  and  were  seen  even  to  fondle  with  their 
long  trunks  the  hands  that  fed  them.  Meanwhile  the  men  fastened  the  chains 
to  each  of  their  right  legs,  and  bound  the  wild  to  the  tame  elephants. 

The  White  Elephant,  alone,  was  not  bound  to  another  of  its  kind,  but  had 
several  long  silken  cords  fastened  about  his  neck,  and  these  were  tied  to  one 
of  the  almost  immovable  posts  of  the  kraal.  Moreover,  cakes  were  given  to 
him,  in  addition  to  the  grass  and  sugar-cane.  While  he  was  being  fed,  it  was 
amusing  to  hear  the  exclamations  of  delight  that  broke  from  the  royal  party, 
such  as,  "  Dear  angel,  gracious  darling,  how  good,  how  lovely  of  you  to  come 
to  us !  " 

Whereas  the  "gracious  darling"  was  devouring  cake  after  cake,  utterly 
unconscious  of  the  tender  regard  which  he  inspired,  and  quite  ready  to  bound 
off,  at  a  moment's  notice,  to  the  forest  whence  he  had  been  entrapped.  As  soon 


A    CITY  RULED  BY  AN  ELEPHANT. 


69 


as  the  White  Elephant  was  captured,  a  wide  path  was  made  for  him  through  the 

Country  which  he  must  traverse  on  his  way  to  Bangkok ;   a  cloth  of  gold  was 

laid  on  his  back,  and  off  we 

started,  in   the  wake  of  the 

white  beast.     Even  the  King 

himself  had  to  "  play  second 

fiddle  "  to  the  new  divinity. 

In  front  of  him,  young 
girls  danced,  and  sung,  and 
played  on  musical  instru- 
ments every  step  of  the  road ; 
a  number  of  men  performed 
feats  of  strength  and  skill, 
tumbling  and  wrestling,  and 
knocking  each  other  about 
for  the  creature's  amusement ; 
some  fanned  him,  others  fed 
him,  still  others  prayed  for 
him,  till  he  reached  the  banks 
of  the  lovely  Meinam.  Here 
he  was  put  on  board  a  barge, 
—  a  proceeding  he  did  not 
sc'em  to  like  at  all,  in  spite 
of  the  gorgeous  roof  that 
overshadowed  him,  hung  with 
crimson  curtains,  and  literally 
carved  with  mottoes,  which 
this  learned  beast  was  sup- 
posed to  decipher  with  the 
utmost  ease. 

The  floor  of  the  barge  was 
a  matting  curiously  woven 
into  strange  patterns,  and  all 
gilt.  In  the  middle  of  this 
the  four-footed  lord  was 
placed ;  and  round  him  were 
scattered  a  perfect  medley 

of  attendants,  who  perfumed  him,  sang  to  him,  fanned  him,  and  praised  him 
all  the  way  to  the  capital.     All   round  his  barge  were  the  royal  barges;  and 


70  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

silken  cords,  fastened  to  the  White  Elephant's  vessel,  were  placed  in  the  hands 
of  nobles  and  the  King,  who  thus,  with  their  own  hands,  aided  to  float  him 
down  the  river. 

Thus,  with  shouts  of  joy,  beating  of  drums,  sounding  of  trumpets,  and 
booming  of  cannon,  the  splendid  white  beast  was  brought  to  the  city 
Bangkok,  and  conducted  to  a  pavilion  prepared  for  him.  Here  a  great 
company  came  out  to  meet  him  and  see  him  receive  his  title.  A  number  oi 
Buddhist  priests  first  offered  up  a  prayer,  then,  taking  a  chank-shell,  they 
poured  consecrated  water  on  his  head,  and  named  him  "  Phya  Sire,  Wongse 
det  Sarallie  Krasat,"  —  "Glorious  hero,  descendant  of  kings  and  gods."  Gold 
rings  were  put  round  his  tusks,  and  a  gold  chain  was  hung  round  his  burly 
neck;  besides  which,  he  had  a  beautiful  purple  velvet  cloak,  fringed  with 
scarlet  and  gold,  to  throw  over  him. 

Thus  he  was  pampered  and  petted  for  seven  long  days ;  and  before  the  new 
royal  stables  that  they  were  building  for  him  could  be  got  ready,  the  poor  beast, 
unable  to  bear  all  that  was  heaped  upon  him  fell  sick  one  night  and  died. 

No  man  dared  to  tell  the  King  the  awful  tidings.  When  he  came  out  to 
look  at  the  new  stables,  what  was  his  astonishment  to  find  the  place  where 
it  stood  empty !  The  prime  minister  had  set  thousands  of  workmen  to  pull 
it  down  in  the  night.  The  truth  flashed  upon  the  poor  King,  and,  with  a  cry 
of  pain,  he  sank  down  upon  a  stone  and  began  to  weep  bitterly.  One  of  the 
children,  who  had  been  instructed  what  to  say,  knelt  before  the  King,  and  said, 
"  Weep  not,  O  my  father.  The  stranger  lord  may  have  left  us  but  for  a  time." 
The  poor  stranger  lord  had  died  of  eating  too  many  cakes,  which  had  brought 
on  a  dreadful  fit  of  indigestion. 

A  few  days  after  the  death  of  the  White  Elephant,  I  went  to  see  the  King. 
He  did  nothing  but  talk  of  the  sad  end  of  their  beloved  guardian  angel.  He 
showed  me  a  piece  of  its  skin,  which  he  had  preserved,  and  his  tusks,  which, 
in  size  and  whiteness,  certainly  surpassed  any  that  I  had  ever  seen.  Aftei 
which  he  read  me  a  description  of  the  dead  monster:  "His  eyes  were  light 
blue,  surrounded  by  a  beautiful  salmon  color;  his  hair  fine,  soft,  and  long; 
his  complexion  pinkish  white;  his  tusks  like  long,  white  pearls;  his  ears  lik< 
silver  shields;  his  trunk  like  a  comet's  tail;  his  legs  like  the  feet  of  the  skies; 
his  tread  like  the  sound  of  thunder;  his  looks  full  of  meditation;  his  expres- 
sion full  of  tenderness  ;  his  cry  like  the  voice  of  a  mighty  warrior,  and  his  whole 
bearing  that  of  an  illustrious  monarch." 

Such  is  the  veneration  in  which  a  white  elephant  is  held  in  Siam.  And  sucl 
is  the  dreadful  power  of  superstition,  that  it  blinds  us  to  what  is  palpably  be- 
fore our  very  eyes ;  for,  in  truth,  "  these  people  have  eyes,  but  they  see  not." 


CHAPTER   V. 


AYUTHIA,   THE   TERRESTRIAL    PARADISE, 

MONG  the  splendid  cities  of  the  earth  that  have 
come  and  vanished  like  an  Oriental  dream,  is  the 
royal  city  of  Ayuthia,  the  old  residence  of  the 
rich  and  mysterious  Siamese  kings.  Few  cities 
were  ever  more  splendid  in  the  days  of  their 
glory,  and  few  splendid  cities  are  to-day  more 
unknown.  The  old  city  of  kings  rose  in  a  mist 
of  romance,  behind  which  the  dazzling  light  of 
poetic  genius  shone  and  glowed. 

There  was,  according  to  the  old  poetic  tradition,  an  old  King  of 
Siam,  who,  finding  that  the  world  was  vanity  and  that  all  things  were 
passing  by  him  and  leaving  him  to  physical  ills  and  death,  used  to 
retire  to  the  mountains  for  meditation  and  prayer.     One  day,  while  in 
the  solitudes,  there  appeared  to  him  a  beautiful  Queen ;  and  his  heart, 
which  he  deemed  dead  to  love,  was  enamored  of  her  beauty. 
"  Who  are  you  ?  " 
"The  Queen  of  the  Underworld." 
"  Let  us  wed." 

"  But  I  must  return  to  my  people,  the  Nakhae." 
"  Nevertheless,  let  us  wed.     I  will  put  on  your  finger  this  ring." 
So  the  aged  King  wedded  the  Queen  of  the  Underworld;  and  after 
a  time  the  Queen  descended  to  her  own  people  and  did  not  often 
revisit  the  regions  of  the  sun  and  air. 


72  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

Time  passed,  and  the  King  and  priests  received  a  message  from 
Gaudama.  It  was  like  this:  "An  heir  to  the  throne  shall  come  mys- 
teriously to  the  palace,  and  shall  be  the  most  glorious  of  kings."  So 
the  realm  waited  the  appearance  of  this  mysterious  Prince. 

One  day  a  hunter  discovered  in  a  forest  a  strange  and  beautiful 
boy.  He  brought  him  to  the  palace.  As  the  boy  entered  the  gates 
the  whole  palace  trembled.  The  King  received  the  youth  with  awe, 
and  his  eye  caught  sight  of  a  beautiful  jewel  on  his  hand. 

"  What  have  you  there  ?  "  asked  the  King. 

The  youth  outstretched  his  hand;  and  the  King  beheld  the  ring 
that  he  had  given  to  the  Queen  of  the  Underworld,  and  he  knew  that 
the  heir  announced  by  Gaudama  had  come. 

The  youth  was  Phra  Ruang,  the  Siamese  Solomon.  He  became 
King,  married  the  daughter  of  the  King  of  China,  introduced'  the 
alphabet,  and  wrote  the  ancient  history  of  the  race.  His  departure 
was  as  mysterious  as  his  advent.  "  I  must  go  to  the  river,"  he  said 
one  day. 

As  Egypt  is  the  gift  of  the  Nile,  so  Siam  is  the  child  of  the  glorious 
river  which  renews  its  youth  year  by  year.  The  King  went  to  the 
river  and  vanished  from  mortal  eyes.  They  waited  his  return,  but  he 
never  came.  Then  they  said,  "  He  has  gone  from  the  sun  to  the  land 
of  his  mother." 

Such  was  the  brilliant  myth  that  begins  the  rise  of  the  royal  city  of 
Ayuthia,  a  few  centuries  after  the  Christian  era.  The  city  grew,  and 
palaces  and  temples  spread  their  golden  wings,  and  silver  spires  seemed 
to  reach  the  stars,  and  golden  domes  to  hang  in  the  sky.  Dynasties 
of  splendid  kings  came  and  went ;  except  to  a  few  priests,  their  names 
are  forgotten  sounds.  Then  the  city  was  founded  again  in  solemn 
state,  and  it  now  ruled  the  isles  of  the  sea.  More  splendid  palaces 
rose,  in  one  of  which  was  an  image  of  Buddha  of  pure  gold  which 
weighed  one  hundred  and  forty-one  thousand  pounds.  Another  image 
of  Buddha  was  fifty  cubits  high. 


AYUTHIA,    THE    TERRESTRIAL  PARADISE.  75 

There  was  an  airy  bridge  in  the  grand  old  city ;  over  it  passed 
countless  millions  of  feet  long  vanished  and  as  forgotten  as  the  long 
effaced  waves  of  the  sea.  The  bridges  of  all  great  cities  have  been 
places  of  romances  and  tragedies,  and  this  bridge  had  its  historic 
episode  which  became  a  national  tale. 

King  Intharaxa  had  three  sons.  The  two  eldest  became  rulers  of 
provinces  during  the  latter  part  of  their  father's  life,  and  each  expected 
the  throne.  The  third  son  had  no  such  expectation.  He  lived  like  a 
Prince,  in  quiet,  well  knowing  that  his  brothers'  lives  and  ambitions 
rose  like  walls  between  him  and  the  royal  power.  King  Intharaxa 
died,  and  the  two  brothers  heard  of  his  death  in  the  provinces.  Each 
mounted  a  royal  elephant  and  hurried  toward  the  palace.  They  met 
upon  the  bridge.  Each  knew  the  purpose  of  the  other,  and  each 
determined  to  kill  the  other  and  thus  make  sure  his  claim  to  the 
throne.  The  fight  began  —  on  the  war  elephants,  as  we  may  suppose 
—  on  the  bridge.  In  the  contest  each  inflicted  upon  the  other  a  mortal 
wound,  and  there  were  a  dead  King  and  two  dead  Princes  and  a  vacant 
throne.  The  city  was  filled  with  horror  and  awe  when  the  quiet  third 
brother  came  forward  and  brousfht  to  the  throne  an  unambitious  heart. 

O 

His  reign  was  long  and  prosperous,  and  among  the  golden  years  of  the 
royal  city. 

Kings  succeeded  kings  again,  and  royal  romances  added  chapter 
to  chapter  of  old  Siamese  history.  Canals  were  built  in  the  royal  city, 
-  water  streets,  —  and  the  city  became  like  Venice.  The  wonder 
grew,  and  the  city  was  called  the  Terrestrial  Paradise. 

Three  hundred  temples  and  palaces  led  the  eye  away  toward  the 
burning  horizon.  In  the  long  river  were  not  only  floating  houses  but 
bazaars.  Just  outside  of  the  city  rose  a  pyramid  called  the  "  Golden 
Mountain,"  in  which  were  an  image  of  Buddha  and  an  altar  to  Buddha, 
overhung  by  a  dome  which  seemed  suspended  from  the  air. 

The  old  city  of  Ayuthia  is  now  a  ruin.  Its  ancient  palaces  are 
buried  in  shrubs  and  trees.  Out  of  the  dense  tropical  foliage  pinnacles 


76  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

and  domes  still  rise,  and  some  of  them  still  glitter  in  the  clear  blue 
sky,  but  they  are  filled  with  bats.  The  broken  shrines  are  the  homes 
of  bats.  Where  millions  of  human  beings  bowed  and  worshipped  in 
some  of  the  most  splendid  ceremonies  that  the  sun  ever  saw,  are  now 
millions  of  bats.  Gaudama  is  a  vanished  god,  where  once  jewelled 
priests  in  long  processions  chanted  his  praises.  Yet  the  many  truths 
that  he  uttered  still  live,  and  will  ever  live ;  for  though  error  perishes, 
truth  is  truth  wherever  found.  It  is  Gaudama's  teachings  that  pro- 
tects the  bats  that  inhabit  his  own  temples  and  multiply  in  his  own 
crumbling  shrines. 

The  history  of  Ayuthia  is  that  of  old  Siam.  In  another  chapter 
I  will  tell  you  something  of  Bangkok. 

THE   STRANGE   STORY   OF  THE   GREEK   SAILOR,  FALCON. 

Constantine  Falcon  was  a  son  of  the  Governor  of  Cephalonia.  His  parents 
were  noble,  but  poor ;  and  at  the  age  of  ten  he  became  inspired  with  an  am- 
bition to  raise  his  family  out  of  their  moneyless  condition. 

He  went  to  sea,  and  was  shipwrecked  in  the  Siam  River.  He  lay  down  to 
sleep  amid  the  tropical  airs.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  sink  into  slumber,  there 
appeared  to  him  a  majestic  form. 

"  Return  to  where  you  were  wrecked,"  said  the  mysterious  person,  and 
vanished. 

Falcon  obeyed  the  dream  or  vision.  He  beheld  on  the  shore  a  strange 
person  approaching  him. 

"Where  are  you  from?"  asked  young  Falcon. 

"  From  a  wreck." 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  an  ambassador  from  the  King  of  Siam  to  Persia.  On  my  way  home 
I  was  wrecked  on  this  coast.  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  also  wrecked  on  this  coast,"  answered  Falcon. 

The  two  became  friends,  and  agreed  to  travel  together,  and  to  go  to  the 
Court  of  Siam.  They  procured  a  boat ;  and  thus  Falcon  became  introduced  to 
the  nobles  of  Ayuthia  and  to  the  Siamese  Court.  Ayuthia  was  then  in  her 
glory,  just  before  her  period  of  decline.  The  Court  was  rich  and  splendid;  and 
Falcon,  on  account  of  his  diplomatic  knowledge  and  accomplishments,  became 


RUINS  OF  THE  GOLDEN  MOUNTAIN. 


AYUTHIA,    THE    TERRESTRIAL   PARADISE.  79 

a  favorite  of  the  king.  The  King  of  Siam  made  him  the  leader  of  his  Court; 
and  it  now  became  Falcon's  ambition  to  introduce  Christianity  into  Siam,  and 
to  make  the  King  known  to  the  European  monarchs. 

He  sent  an  embassy  to  Louis  XIV.,  King  of  France,  "  The  Grand  Monarch." 
The  King  returned  the  courtesy,  and  the  shipwrecked  young  Greek  found  him- 
self receiving,  as  Prime  Minister,  the  ambassador  of  the  most  magnificent 
monarch  of  Europe.  The  result  of  this  friendship  of  the  two  Courts  was  the 
bringing  of  Catholic  missionaries  to  Siam,  and  the  procuring  of  a  French  body- 
guard for  the  King. 

Falcon  was  now  rich,  was  virtually  the  Prime  Minister  of  one  of  the  most 
splendid  kingdoms  of  the  world;  he  was  allowed  to  enjoy  his  own  religion 
amid  the  temples  of  Gaudama,  and  he  was  protected  by  a  French  guard. 
What  a  dazzling  position !  What  a  transformation  from  the  life  of  the  poor 
boy-mariner ! 

But  ambition  tempted  him  too  far;  his  star  of  destiny  went  down,  and  he 
fell.  The  French  guard  excited  the  jealousy  of  the  Siamese  nobles;  and  the 
Catholic  missions  met  the  opposition  of  the  Mohammedans,  who  themselves 
hoped  to  convert  the  Court  and  King. 

Falcon  at  last  fell  a  victim  to  a  conspiracy  led  by  an  officer  of  State,  was 
imprisoned,  and  was  executed  at  the  age  of  forty-one.  Through  the  strange 
romance  of  his  life  the  Cross  was  borne  into  Siam,  and  the  Gospel  was  first 
preached.  These  events  took  place  just  before  the  decline  of  Ayuthia  and 
the  rise  of  Bangkok. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE   MOST  .WONDERFUL   RUINS    OF   ASIA. 

HAVE  been,"  wrote  Ivory  in  his  next  letter,  "  to  what 
has  been  called  the  most  wonderful  ruin  in  the  world ; 
and  if  not  the  most  wonderful,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
mysterious.  You  may  never  have  heard  of  Cambo- 
dia or  of  Chantaboon.  It  would  not  be  strange,  for 
they  belong  to  the  country  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
Siam,  and  few  countries  have  had  less  to  do  with  the 
world. 

"  You  have  heard   of  the  Lion    Rock.     It  lies  at 
the  entrance  of  the  harbor  of  Chantaboon,  —  a  rock 

that  bears  such  a  marked  resemblance  to  a  lion  that  it  does  not  seem  possible 
that  it  could  be  an  accidental  image.     Yet  so  it  is.     I  enclose  a  picture. 


'I   ENCLOSE   A   PICTURE.' 


"  Some  hundred  or  more  miles  inland  from  Chantaboon,  near  the  great 
Lake  of  Cambodia,  is  Siam  Rap,  and  near  it  are  the  ruins  of  Angker.  Nagken 
Them,  or  Angker  the  Great,  these  ruins  are  sometimes  called.  They  are  to-day 


/HE  MOST   WONDERFUL   RU/NS  OF  ASIA. 


81 


but  wrecks  of  temples  amid  the  jungles,  though  the  outer  wall,  built  of  volcanic 
rocks,  is  well  preserved. 

"  Angker  the  Great !  Who  in  the  Western  world  has  heard  of  this  once 
vast  and  populous  city,  that  in  its  day  was  a  rival  of  Persepolis?  Old  tradition 
says  it  had  miles  of  treasure-houses,  —  according  to  one  writer,  three  hundred 


THE   LEPER    KING. 


miles;  seventy  thousand  war  elephants  and  six  millions  of  foot  soldiers,  if  we 
may  believe  the  same  historian  ;  an  army  of  tributary  princes.  Yet  who  to-day 
knows  the  name  of  one  of  these  once  splendid  kings? 

"  There  is  a  great  statue  of  a  leper  king,  seated  on  a  stone  platform  near  the 

6 


82  ZIGZAG   JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

gate  of  the  inner  wall.     On  the  pedestal  is  an  inscription.     Who  can  read  it? 
Yet  every  king  of  Angker  the  Great  must  have  deemed  his  future  eternal. 

"  The  great  temple,  or  wat,  of  this  vanished  city,  through  whose  streets 
once  passed  millions  of  soldiers  in  triumphal  procession,  must  have  been  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  structures  in  the  world.  The  magnitude  of  its  ruins 
makes  one  silent  in  wonder.  It  was  entered  by  an  immense  stone  causeway, 
which  still  remains,  and  through  a  lofty  gateway  guarded  by  gigantic  stone 
lions  hewn  from  a  single  rock.  The  structure  rises  in  quadrangular  tiers.  Out 
of  the  central  tiers  rises  a  great  tower  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high.  It  is 
supposed  that  Mount  Menu  —  the  centre  of  the  universe  according  to  Buddha 
—  is  symbolized  by  the  temple. 

"  Of  Mount  Menu,  or  Meru,  the  author  of '  Temples  and  Elephants '  gives 
the  following  curious  description  :  - 

"  '  According  to  the  Laosian  idea,  the  centre  of  the  world  is  Mount  Zinnalo 
(called  in  Siamese  Mount  Meru),  which  is  half  under  water  and  half  above. 
The  subaqueous  part  of  the  mount  is  a  solid  rock  which  has  three  root-like 
rocks  protruding  from  the  water  into  the  air  above.  Round  this  mountain  is 
coiled  a  large  fish,  called  "  Pla  anun,"  of  such  leviathan  dimensions  that  it  can 
embrace  and  move  the  mountain ;  when  it  sleeps  the  earth  is  quiet,  but  when  it 
moves  it  produces  earthquakes. 

"  '  Mount  Zinnalo  is  full  of  caves,  which  under  the  water  are  inhabited 
by  dragons  called  "  Naks ;  "  while  those  above  are  the  home  of  angels,  or 
"  Thewedas."  Above  the  earth,  and  around  this  great  mountain,  is  the  firma- 
ment, with  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars.  These  are  looked  upon  as  the 
ornaments  of  the  heavenly  temples.  It  is  recorded  that  one  of  Buddha's  dis- 
ciples once  interrupted  him  in  his  lecture,  and  asked  the  master  what  was 
beyond  the  firmament,  when.the  great  sage  simply  told  him  to  "  shut  up." 

"  '  Above  the  water  is  the  inhabited  earth ;  and  on  each  of  the  four  sides  of 
Mount  Zinnalo  are  seven  hills  rising  in  equal  gradations,  one  above  the  other, 
which  are  the  first  ascents  the  departed  has  to  make.  If  he  is  wanting  in 
"  mejit,"  he  cannot  get  to  the  top ;  but,  having  got  to  the  summit,  he  now 
comes  to  the  different  chambers  in  heaven. 

"  '  The  first  heavenly  space,  immediately  on  the  summit  of  Mount  Zinnalo, 
is  "  Tja  to  maha  la  chee  ka  tawa,"  which  is  the  abode  of  good  spirits,  and 
where  also  resides  a  king  or  chief  called  Phya  Wett  So'wan. 

"  '  A  step  higher  up  is  "  Tawah  tingsa  nang  tewa  nang."  Here  live  the 
persons  who  when  on  earth  built  "  salas,"  and  houses  for  the  priests,  and  to 
each  of  them  is  allowed  sixteen  thousand  wives.  Phya  In  is  the  chief  of  the 
company  here,  and  he  receives  his  orders  from  above. 


,W*'~   •       i 

:•'"  '  >      '•, 


THE  MOST  WONDERFUL   RUINS  OF  ASIA.  85 

"  '  The  next  chamber  of  heaven  is  "  Tut  sida  tewa."  The  folks  residing 
here  are  those  who,  when  on  earth,  wore  white  clothing,  and  passed  the  time  in 
saying  prayers;  and  each  of  these  pious  individuals  has  thirty  thousand  wives. 

"  '  Chamber  No.  4  is  the  "  Yama  tewa,"  inhabited  by  both  sexes,  who  when 
on  earth  performed  works  of  great  merit. 

"  '  The  fifth  heaven  is  "  Nimma  nalatee,"  also  an  abode  for  good  persons. 
Each  man  has  six  hundred  thousand  wives. 

"  '  Heaven  No.  6  is  "  Para  min  mitta,"  a  home  where  the  people  have 
perfect  peace;  they  spend  their  time  in  singing  and  dancing,  and  one  hundred 
and  five  million  wives  are  allotted  to  each  gentleman. 

"  '  Beyond  this  is  a  heaven  divided  into  three  chambers  or  kingdoms,  each 
of  which  is  subdivided  again  into  three  compartments,  as  follows :  — 

"  '  "  Poma  tewa  "  is  for  both  sexes,  who  have  more  merit  than  "  Indra." 

"  '"  Maha  pom  ma,"  also  for  men  and  women  of  the  highest  order;  here 
reside  the  four  regents  of  heaven. 

"  '  "  Poma  palo  pitta,"  likewise  for  people  of  both  sexes,  whose  business  is 
to  take  care  of  heaven. 

"  '  In  the  second  kingdom  are  the  three  places,  or  highest  heavens,  reserved 
for  those  who  have  made  great  merit  to  enjoy  for  a  season  "  felicity " 
and  "  glory  "  before  going  to  "  Nirvana ;  "  and  there  are  separate  places  for 
men,  priests,  and  women. 

"  '  In  the  third  kingdom  reside  the  three  orders  of  angels,  having  apart- 
ments :  - 

"  '  "  Theweda  newa  sunja,"  only  for  females. 

"  4  ..  Tewa  butt  utang,"  for  men  only,  who  are  the  most  perfect  angels,  and 
reside  here  before  becoming  gods  and  ruling  over  men,  like  Buddha. 

"  '  Those  who  have  merit  to  attain  the  third  order  become  mothers  of  gods. 

"  '  Above  all  is  outer  darkness,  or  "  Nirvana,"  which  Buddha  is  said  to  have 
compared  to  the  disappearance  of  gunpowder  when  lighted  in  your  hand.  By 
some  the  word  "Nirvana"  is  accordingly  interpreted  to  mean  "  non-existence;" 
but  I  doubt  if  this  is  the  correct  interpretation. 

"  'According  to  Mr.  Alabaster,  who  is  without  a  doubt  the  highest  authority 
on  Siamese  Buddhism,  it  is  "  a  place  of  comfort  where  there  is  no  care:  lovely 
is  the  glorious  realm  of  Nirvana."  And  I  agree  with  Mr.  Alabaster  that  it  i.s 
a  place  of  perfect  happiness.  On  ancient  figures  of  Buddha  inscriptions  are 
often  found  in  which  the  maker  of  the  image  implores  the  aid  of  Buddha  in 
reaching  the  "  highest  heaven."  If  the  inferior  heavens  are  the  places  of  enjoy- 
ment described  above,  there  would  be  no  object  in  praying  for  removal  thence- 
to  a  place  of  non-existence  or  unconsciousness.' 


86  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  The  legend  is  as  strange  and  wonderful  as  the  temple  itself. 

"  Flights  of  stairways  once  led  from  terrace  to  terrace ;  there  were  long 
galleries  of  polished  marble  and  grotesque  reliefs,  colonnades  carved  with  sacred 
lobas,  —  a  mountain  of  art  opened  to  the  bright  sun  and  the  balmy  air.  The 
bas  reliefs  are  themselves  a  dead  army  of  figures,  —  angels,  giants  and  warriors, 
scenes  of  legendary  and  historic  lore. 

"  Think  of  it.  The  temple  covered  an  area  of  ten  acres,  and  the  courts  and 
gardens  once  enclosed  two  hundred  and  eight  acres. 

"  It  was  built  of  stone.  They  were  brought  from  mountains  some  thirty 
miles  away,  and  perhaps  employed  the  labor  of  an  army  of  men  for  decades  or 
centuries.  No  mortar  was  used  in  the  building,  but  the  great  blocks  of  stone 
were  so  fitted  that  to-day  it  is  hard  to  find  the  seams. 

"  '  As  grand  as  the  Temple  of  Solomon  it  must  have  been,'  said  one  aston- 
ished traveller.  '  It  occupied  a  larger  space  than  the  ruins  of  Karnak,'  writes 
another. 

"  No  ruin  of  Egypt,  Greece,  or  Rome  is  more  wonderful  or  more  mys- 
terious. And  yet  Angker  the  Great,  with  its  thousands  of  acres  of  buried 
streets  and  houses,  is  now  but  the  part  of  a  dense  forest  in  an  almost  unknown 
land.  It  is  reached  through  jungles,  where  the  traveller  is  followed  by  chal- 
lenging monkeys  and  birds.  It  is  the  habitation  of  innumerable  bats;  there 
are  bats  everywhere,  as  though  to  them  were  given  the  eternal  custody  of  the 
dead  city. 

"  How  old  was  the  city?  When  was  it  founded?  How  did  it  perish?  No 
one  knows. 

"  But  there  was  a  period  —  it  may  have  lasted  for  half  a  thousand  years  — 
when  devotees  thronged  the  gigantic  temple,  when  wealth  filled  its  marts,  when 
armies  trod  its  streets,  and  when  the  proudest  kings  of  earth,  in  long  succession, 
sat  upon  its  golden  thrones  and  wore  its  jewelled  diadems. 

"  Here  palaces  rose,  shone  in  the  sun,  and  fell ;  and  thrilling  episodes  of 
court  life  must  have  happened ;  but  all  has  vanished  like  a  vision. 

"  '  Who  built  these  ruins?  '  I  asked  of  a  Siamese  guide. 

"  '  They.' 

"'Who?' 

"  '  They  themselves  !  ' 

"'Giants?' 

"  '  No.' 

"'  Buddha?' 

"  '  No;   men  who  are  dust  like  their  habitations.' 

"  I  spent  a  night  amid  the  ruins  with  a  provincial  officer,  to  whose  care  they 


THE   MOST  WONDERFUL   RUINS   OF  ASIA.  87 

are  entrusted.  It  is  nearly  a  day's  journey  around  them ;  and,  tired  at  last,  I 
sat  down  after  struggling  amid  the  jungle.  The  blazing  sunset  came,  and  the 
sudden  twilight.  Then  the  half-moon  arose  in  the  clear  sky.  All  was  silent 
except  the  whir  of  bats. 

"  There  was  I,  an  American  boy,  alone,  as  it  were,  amid  the  slowly  decaying 
walls  of  Angker  the  Great.  Not  one  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  city  ever 
dreamed  of  the  country  from  whence  I  came,  and  few  of  my  own  countrymen 
ever  heard  of  Angker,  except  those  who  had  seen  the  specimens  of  its  bas 
reliefs  at  Paris  or  photographs  in  the  English  museums.  So  time  sweeps  away 
men,  and  kings  as  well  as  men ;  and  palaces,  and  temples  as  well  as  palaces. 
Righteousness  and  its  fruits  alone  are  immortal. 

"Will  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  one  day  be  dust?  Will  time  so  multiply 
heroes  that  the  potential  names  of  to-day  will  be  to  long  generations  to  come 
at  first  limited,  then  obscure,  and  then  unknown? 

"  I  fell  asleep  in  that  awful  solitude  with  a  desire  to  give  my  life  to  all  that 
was  good,  and  to  overcome  all  that  was  evil.  Men  die,  but  principles  live ;  and 
to  live  for  eternal  principles  of  righteousness  and  charity  is  the  only  worthy 
thing.  Have  you  not  felt  this  conviction  ?  " 


THE   GIANT  BRIDGE    AT    ANGKER.    RESTORED. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


THE    STORY    OF    THE    LEPER    KING. 

HOUSANDS  and  thousands  of  years  ago,  in  the 
Golden  Age  of  Time,  heaven  was  so  near  to 
earth  that  the  gods  lived  in  the  very  sight  of 
men. 

There  was  a  mountain  called  Menu,  or  Meru, 
that  rose  from  the  centre  of  the  earth  and  touched 
the  Celestial  Paradise,  and  the  gods  descended 
and  ascended  upon  it  in  full  view  of  human  eyes. 
Angels,  too,  came  down  out  of  the  dazzling  light  and  mingled  with 
mankind. 

Sorrow,  pain,  and  disease  had  not  entered  the  world,  but  there 
lived  in  a  far  dark  region  a  dragon  of  great  and  awful  power,  who  was 
an  enemy  of  mankind. 

The  dragon  desired  to  send  evil  into  the  hearts  of  men,  and  to 
make  the  kings  of  the  world  his  agents  of  evil.  He  desired  to  see 
mankind  suffer  and  follow  evil  desires,  and  to  fill  all  the  bright  atmos- 
pheres of  life  with  disease  and  death.  Heaven  would  then  disappear 
from  the  eyes  of  men,  for  the  spiritual  sight  would  be  lost. 

In  these  long  ages  of  bliss  men  lived  to  be  a  thousand  years  old. 
Death  was  no  terror,  for  the  City  of  the  Gods  was  already  in  view,  and 
sin  had  not  darkened  the  glories  of  the  spheres  where  mortals  would 
become  immortal  and  dwell  in  light  without  the  material  form. 

The  God  of  the  Sun  held  his  Court  in  the  high  heavens;  and  it 
was  thought  just,  as  the  ages  of  the  earth  rolled  on,  that  one  of  the 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  LEPER  KING.  91 

gods  should  take  the  form  of  a  man  and  come  down  to  the  lower 
world  and  teach  the  people  spiritual  wisdom.  So  Somannas  was 
born  of  a  lovely  Princess,  and  grew  up  a  beautiful  youth  among  men. 

Before  he  began  his  great  mission  there  came  a  celestial  messenger 
to  his  mother,  the  Princess,  who  said, — 

"  I  must  take  away  the  boy." 

"  Where  ? " 

"  Up  to  the  highest  heaven." 

"Why?" 

"  That  he  may  learn  wisdom  and  see  the  rewards  of  virtue,  and  so 
teach  men." 

The  Princess  was  a  lover  of  good ;  and  that  her  son  might  learn  all 
the  mysteries  of  the  eternal  rewards  and  happiness  of  a  good  life,  she 
consented  to  let  her  son  go. 

Then  there  came  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  the  messenger  and  the 
boy  went  back  with  it  into  the  worlds  of  splendor  out  of  which  it 
came. 

The  boy  was  taken  into  the  counsels  of  the  gods,  and  was  delighted 
and  filled  with  ecstasy  in  the  dazzling  light,  and  the  Paradises  of  the 
light  to  which  the  brightest  things  of  earth  were  as  shadows. 

The  gods  showed  him  the  missions  of  the  stars  that  filled  the 
regions  of  space,  making  eternal  music  as  they  moved.  They  also 
showed  him  the  regions  of  darkness  where  dwell  those  who  turn  good 
into  evil,  and  so  darken  their  souls. 

When  the  boy  was  instructed  in  all  the  mysteries  of  the  soul,  he 
was  returned  to  the  earth  again  to  teach  the  people  wisdom,  that  they 
might  retain  their  purity,  and  that  the  visible  heaven  might  not  be  lost 
to  their  view. 

The  gods  built  a  palace  on  earth  to  receive  the  Prince ;  wonder- 
fully beautiful  it  was,  and  it  sprung  up  in  a  single  night  under  the 
friendly  light  of  the  stars.  Its  domes  were  like  stars,  and  its  pinnacles 
like  jewels.  It  was  of  immense  extent,  and  its  walls  were  like  armies 


92  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

of  silver  shields.  When  the  sun  rose  on  the  morning  after  it  was 
builded  by  the  angels,  and  shone  upon  it,  it  dazzled  the  earth  and 
filled  mankind  with  wonder. 

Then  gods  came  down  in  the  night,  under  the  stars,  and  planted  a 
celestial  garden  about  the  palace,  and  filled  it  with  streams  and  foun- 
tains. The  flowers  in  the  garden  were  of  delightful  odor,  and  their 
breath  went  up  to  heaven  and  wafted  perfume  through  the  abodes  of 
the  gods. 

Somannas  lived  here,  and  taught  the  people  that  the  secret  of  hap- 
piness was  righteousness,  and  that  righteousness  was  of  its  own  nature 
immortal.  And  the  people  were  virtuous,  and  death  was  only  a  change 
into  a  higher  light  and  being,  and  all  the  world  was  happy. 

There  dwelt  afar  a  great  and  powerful  King,  who  heard  of  Soman- 
nas and  his  palace  and  the  happiness  of  his  people.  He  worshipped 
the  dragon,  and  the  dragon  made  him  very  powerful.  One  day  the 
dragon  said  to  him, — 

"  I  have  given  thee  power:  go  and  visit  Somannas  and  tempt  him 
to  worship  me." 

There  was  a  gathering  of  elephants  and  chariots,  and  the  King 
from  the  Lotus  Land  started  on  a  long  journey  to  visit  Somannas  and 
to  see  his  palace  and  people. 

Somannas  received  him  joyfully,  and  took  him  into  his  palace; 
and  the  two  Kings  became  bosom  friends,  and  for  a  time  lived  happily 
together. 

Then  the  great  King  of  the  Lotus  Land  began  to  talk  with 
Somannas  about  things  that  he  did  not  know,  and  a  great  power 
that  he  did  not  possess.  The  knowledge  that  had  been  kept  from  him 
was  that  of  evil,  and  the  power  that  he  did  not  possess  was  the  power 
of  evil. 

"You  should  have  this  knowledge  and  power;  then  you  would 
know  all  things,  and  your  sovereignty  would  be  universal." 

"  How  shall  I  obtain  them  ?  " 


THE   STORY  OF    THE   LEPER   KING. 


93 


"  Worship  the  dragon,  and  you  shall  know  the  secrets  of  all  life." 
The  young  Prince  desired  all  knowledge  and  power;   but  he  re- 
membered the  counsels  of  the  gods,  and  that  he  had  been   instructed 
that  the  knowledge  of  evil  brought  unhappiness  to  men,  and  darkened 


"THI.  KING  I  ROM  THK  LOTUS  LAND  STARTED  ON  A  LONG  JOURNEY." 

the  light  within  them.  He  saw  if  he  gained  the  hidden  knowledge, 
he  would  lose  the  power  of  the  higher  knowledge,  and  his  love  of 
good. 

"  You  are  tempting  me  to  ruin  the  world.  Evil  is  pain,  evil  is 
disease,  evil  is  suffering,  and  evil  is  a  dark  death." 

44  But  it  is  new  power." 

44  It  is  a  poison ;  and  the  evil  in  thy  heart  shall  poison  thee,  for 
thou  hast  tempted  me." 

Then  the  evil  in  the  heart  of  the  King  of  the  Lotus  Land  began 


94 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


to  poison  his  body.  There  came  white  spots 
on  his  flesh,  and  they  rotted ;  and  his  body 
slowly  turned  white  and  dropped  away ;  and 
he  was  shunned  by  all,  and  one  day  he 
died. 

Then  Somannas  changed  the  dead  King's 
body  into  stone.     "  Let  it  be  a  warning,"    he 
said,  "  to  all  ages,  to  those 
who  would  turn  the  heart 
of  the  young  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  evil." 

By  the  gate  of  the 
palace  he  sat,  the  Leper 
King.  The  people  gazed 
upon  him  for  ages,  and  saw 
in  him  the  effects  of  the 
forbidden  knowledge,  and 
they  repeated  the  wise 
words  of  Somannas, — 

"  We  are  never  bound 
by  evil  until  we  come  to 
know  it ;  it  is  true  wis- 
dom never  to  know.  Let 
the  youth  forever  remem- 
ber the  Leper  King." 


BY  THE  GATE  OF  THE  PALACE  HE  SAT, 
THE  LEPER  KING." 


CHAPTER    VIIJ. 


IVORY     IN     FLORIDA. 

UR    hotel  was   situated   on    the   so-called    Indian 
River,  which  is  really  an  ocean  lagoon,  near  its 
mouth,  and   amid    the   beautiful    lake   region   of 
Florida.     We  usually  went  to  Florida  about  the 
first  of  December;   but  we   did   not  have   many 
guests  at  the   hotel    until    after  New   Year's.     I 
acted  as  clerk  of  the  hotel,  as  telegraph  operator, 
and  took  charge  of  the  education  of  the  proprie- 
tor's children.     I  was  very  busy  from  January  to  April,  but  I  usually 
had  the  month  of  December  quite  to  myself,  as  the  first  weeks  after 
our  arrival  were  holidays  to  the  children. 

The  mouth  of  the  great  Indian  River  is  full  of  birds  always.  In 
fact,  birds  seem  to  cover  it,  as  sea-weeds  the  northern  rivers  where 
they  leave  the  sea.  I  have  seen  the  steamer  for  Rockledge  pass 
down  the  wide  waters  as  though  it  were  sailing  through  a  sea  of 
birds.  The  lakes  also  abound  with  birds. 

The  most  beautiful  birds  of  the  Indian  River  region  and  the 
South  Florida  lakes  are  the  flamingoes,  the  white  herons,  the  eyrets 
and  ibises,  —  birds  scarcely  found  anywhere  else  in  North  America. 
The  birds  that  fill  the  rivers  are  chiefly  ducks  and  small  water-birds. 
The  white  heron  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  birds  in  the  world,  —  to 
my  eye,  more  beautiful  than  the  flamingo,  eyret,  or  ibis.  Its  form  is 
most  graceful,  and  it  has  a  pearly  whiteness  that  glistens  in  the  sun. 
No  bird  —  not  even  the  Florida  ibis,  with  all  its  poetic  associations  - 


96  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

is  such  a  beautiful  ornament  for  a  parlor,  a  public  room,  a  lamp  or  fire 
screen,  or  is  more  salable  by  the  taxidermist.  I  used  to  spend  a  part 
of  the  month  of  December  hunting  birds,  especially  the  heron.  I 
knew  something  of  taxidermy,  and  I  did  not  have  to  seek  a  market  in 
Northern  bird-stores  for  my  stuffed  specimens.  I  was  able  to  sell  my 
prepared  herons  and  ibises  to  the  guests  at  the  hotel. 

Southern  Florida  in  winter  is  full  of  plume-hunters,  and  the 
beautiful  birds  of  the  Indian  River  and  Lake  Region  are  fast  disap- 
pearing to  supply  the  American  bird-stores  and  the  French  feather- 
market. 

Ivory,  on  arriving  in  New  York,  came  at  once  to  Florida,  for  Mr. 
Marden  was  his  uncle.  He  was  a  fine-looking  young  man,  of  gentle 
manners,  quiet  behavior,  with  a  pleasant  voice.  There  was  something- 
affectionate  in  his  tone  while  speaking,  that  won  one's  good-will.  His 
intelligence  was  far  above  that  of  the  ordinary  student  or  college 
graduate.  He  had  received  a  liberal  education  at  Boston  on  his 
former  residence  in  America;  had  met  very  intelligent  society  in 
England  and  in  India.  His  education  differed  from  that  of  other  boys 
I  had  met  in  that  he  had  a  large  knowledge  of  the  world.  His  read- 
ing had  been  the  best.  He  knew  much  Oriental  literature.  He  could 
speak  well  several  languages. 

He  was  so  modest,  kindly,  and  affectionate,  that  we  all  came  to  love 
him;  even  the  negroes  about  the  hotel.  Wherever  he  went,  the  young 
and  old  seemed  to  follow  him,  for  it  was  delightful  to  hear  him  talk  of 
his  travels.  He  never  spoke  ill  of  anybody ;  so  every  one,  even  the  old 
freedmen,  felt  sure  that  he  was  a  true  friend.  Mr.  Marden's  children 
were  constantly  hanging  about  him,  and  the  negroes  were  continually 
bringing  to  him  questions.  But  we  never  regarded  Ivory  as  a  very 
strong  character. 

"  Yes,  Ivory  is  a  good  fellow,"  said  Mr.  Marden,  "  but  he  was  never 
born  for  war  or  temptation.  He  would  never  have  scaled  the  Heights 
of  Abraham." 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA.  99 

But  I  had  noticed  that  he  always  had  the  moral  courage  to  do 
right.  With  all  his  affectionate  and  gentle  ways,  he  could  say  no. 
The  day  after  his  arrival  I  showed  him  the  white  herons  I  had  killed 
and  stuffed  the  week  before.  There  was  an  eyret  among  them,  and  a 
rare  bird  whose  name  I  did  not  know. 

44 1  shall  get  five  dollars  apiece  for  the  herons,"  said  I.  "  You  shall 
go  heron-hunting  with  me." 

""But,  Manton,  — " 

"  But  what  ? " 

"  In  Siam  we  do  not  kill  birds  for  their  plumage." 

"  But  you  are  not  a  Siamese." 

"  No ;  but  it  is  a  very  kindly  custom,  and  I  have  been  influenced 
by  it." 

"  Not  influenced  by  a  Buddhist  superstition,  Ivory." 

"  Not  by  the  superstition ;  but  if  a  superstition  represented  a  truth, 
it  would  influence  you,  just  as  though  you  found  truth  in  one  of 
jEsop's  fables,  ^sop  was  a  heathen,  you  know." 

"  But  the  Siamese  and  Chinese  are  not  good  to  one  another. 
How  they  neglect  old  people !  Their  superstitions  are  heartless  and 
cruel." 

"Yes;  and  it  is  the  duty  of  Christian  people  to  teach  them  a 
better  faith  and  life,  as  father  is  doing.  Yet  the  relations  between 
men  and  animals  are  more  kindly  in  Buddhist  countries  than  here, 
even  if  brought  about  by  a  superstition ;  and  there  is  something  in 
the  friendship  of  animals  that  tends  to  increase  the  happiness  of 
mankind." 

14  Then  you  would  not  kill  herons  for  their  plumage  ?  " 

"No." 

"  You  would  not  kill  a  bird  at  all  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Not  a  buzzard  ?  " 

"  No ;  a  buzzard  is  a  very  useful  bird,  and  does  the  duty  for  which 


100  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  )N  THE    ANTIPODES. 

Nature  designed  it.  Why  should  I  wish  to  kill  a  flamingo  or  a 
buzzard  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  that  while  your  father  has  been  laboring  among 
the  Buddhists,  the  Buddhists  have  been  laboring  with  you." 

"  Not  at  all.  Siam  is  full  of  beautiful  birds ;  they  make  life 
happier.  Is  Florida  ?  " 

"  It  used  to  be." 

"  Have  you  seen  many  flamingoes  this  fall  ? " 

"No."  ' 

"  Many  eyrets  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Many  ibises  ? " 

«  No." 

"  These  beautiful  friends  of  man  are  all  disappearing?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Can  you  afford  to  lose  them  ?  Can  the  State  or  the  country 
afford  to  lose  them  ?  Can  wealth  or  art  bring  to  Florida  anything 
so  beautiful  as  a  flight  of  ibises,  or  a  colony  of  white  herons  among 
the  gray  mosses,  or  eyrets  on  the  borders  of  a  lagoon  ?  And 
can  you  for  a  moment  believe  that  these  birds  were  created  to  be 
killed?" 

An  incident  occurred  soon  after  this  conversation  that  caused 
Ivory  to  be  much  ridiculed,  even  by  the  negroes  and  children,  among 
whom  he  had  become  more  and  more  a  favorite. 

I  had  shot  a  beautiful  heron  and  broken  its  leg.  It  had  been 
dragged  out  of  a  cypress  thicket  by  a  dog,  and  its  plumage  had  thus 
become  torn  and  it  was  unfit  for  taxidermy.  Ivory  was  with  me  when 
I  shot  the  bird.  I  was  about  to  kill  it  and  throw  it  away  as  a  useless 
specimen,  when  Ivory  took  it  up  very  gently,  for  which  he  was  severely 
pricked  or  bitten  by  the  bird  with  its  sharp  bill. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  it  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Oh  !  take  it  to  the  hotel." 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA.  103 

The  next  day  I  chanced  to  go  into  the  yard,  when  I  saw  the 
wounded  heron  in  a  large  coop  with  its  leg  done  up  in  a  bandage. 

"  Who  did  that?  "  I  asked  of  Uncle  Eben,  an  old  negro. 

"  Ivory,  Boss." 

"Ivory?" 

"Yes;  he's  bin  mendin'  dat  dar  bird  all  de  mornin'.  An'  it 
bit  him." 

"  Why  did  he  not  wring  its  neck  ? " 

"  Dunno,  Boss ;  Ivory  am  a  sort  of  heathen.  I  specs  he  thinks 
birds  have  souls." 

The  heron's  leg  healed,  and  one  day  the  bird  was  missing. 

"  Where  's  your  heron  ?  "  I  asked  of  Ivory. 

"  Gone ! " 

"Where?" 

"  Oh,  to  the  air,  sunshine,  and  lakes,  where  he  belongs." 

"Who  let  him  go?" 

<(  T  " 

The  negroes  began  to  speak  of  Ivory  as  "  dat  boy  from  Siam  who 
thought  dat  birds  had  souls."  Some  of  them,  who  had  heard  of  his 
feats  in  the  parlor,  began  to  hint  that  he  might  be  a  "  conjurer." 

Hunters  came  to  the  hotel;  several  of  them  bird-hunters,  who  found 
a  sale  for  the  bird  plumage  to  an  agent  for  a  Paris  feather-store. 
Ivory  seemed  to  regard  these  hunters  with  a  kind  of  horror.  They 
looked  upon  him  as  a  "  spooney."  This  may  have  hurt  him,  but  it 
did  not  prevent  him  from  saying  again  and  again,  "  I  think  that  the 
destruction  of  birds  in  Florida  is  wrong.  It  ought  to  be  prevented  by 
Christian  sentiment  and  by  the  State  law." 

I  once  hinted  to  him,  in  presence  of  the  children,  that  his  views  on 
the  subject  were  childish  and  weak-minded ;  but  he  replied  that  most 
men  whose  lives  had  proved  a  benefit  to  others  had  cherished  the 
same  feelings  in  regard  to  the  brute  creation,  and  he  related  many 
beautiful  stories  in  support  of  this  assertion. 


104  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  Genius  is  always  kind,"  he  said,  "  and  great  thoughts  are  always 
benevolent." 

I  was  nettled  by  the  implied  criticism,  and  said,  — 

"  Do  you  think  that  you  are  a  genius,  Ivory  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  men  of  genius  and  noble  thoughts  are  worthy  of  imita- 
tion, and  especially  by  people  of  common  gifts  like  myself." 

Some  of  Ivory's  stories  in  defence  of  his  principles  were  very  kind 
and  pleasing.  They  were  old,  but  he  treated  them  in  such  a  sym- 
pathetic way  that  they  were  none  the  less  interesting.  He  used  to  sit 
'on  the  verandas  on  the  sunny  afternoons,  when  the  children  and  the 
negroes  would  gather  around  him.  Sometimes  the  hunters  would 
mingle  among  the  curious  group.  He  would  talk  to  them  as  though 
he  were  a  preacher  for  animals ;  his  eye  would  grow  bright,  his  cheek 
color,  his  breath  be  hastily  drawn,  and  he  would  debate  on  the  subject 
as  though  he  were  a  veritable  missionary  to  the  heathen.  I  recall 
some  of  his  stories,  as  well  as  his  sympathetic  manner  of  telling  them. 
One  was  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  and  his  dog  Diamond ;  another,  of  Burns 
and  the  field  mouse;  and  another,  of  President  Lincoln  and  a  bird 
that  had  fallen  out  of  its  nest.  He  used  often  to  quote  the  Bird's-nest 
Commandment  of  Moses,  and  as  often  Cowper's  sentiment,  — 

"  I  would  not  enter  on  my  list  of  friends 

.  .  .  the  man 
Who  needlessly  sets  foot  upon  a  worm." 

Speaking  of  Cowper  leads  me  to  recall   Ivory's  pleasant  version  of 
the  melancholy  poet's  love  of  his  tame  hares. 

COWPER'S   TAME    HARES. 

Few  old  English  villages  are  better  known  to  the  lovers  of  wholesome 
reading  than  Olney,  the  place  where  the  Rev.  John  Newton  labored,  and  the 
poet  Cowper  sung. 

It  is  situated  on  the  river  Ouse,  whose  waters  go  dimpling  by  land  slopes 
rich  with  herbage  and  dotted  with  cattle,  by  dells  and  dingles,  by  airy  groves 
and  grand  old  elms. 


JVORY  IN  FLORIDA. 


105 


' 

?>x< 


THE   RIVER   OUSE   GOES    DIMPLING   BY. 


The  church  at  Olney  is  associated  with  many  pleasing  events  of  long  de- 
parted years,  with  seasons  of  spiritual  refreshing,  with  the  convincing  dis- 
courses of  Newton,  and  the  sweet  hymns  of  Cowper.  In  many  hymn-books 
this  memorial  of  Christian  usefulness  may  be  found,  —  Olney  Hymns. 


106  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

The  poet  Cowper  was  subject  to  great  depression  of  spirits,  and  his  mind, 
so  brilliant  in  health,  was  several  times  in  his  life  quite  overthrown.  At  such 
periods  any  mental  exertion  increased  his  sufferings,  and  books  afforded  him 
no  pleasure.  He  therefore  sought  for  diversion  in  the  delightful  scenes  of 
rural  life.  He  spent  much  of  his  time  in  gardening,  and  in  embellishing  his 
grounds  by  the  most  lovely  and  attractive  shrubs  and  flowers.  His  poem,  the 
"  Task,"  is  full  of  rural  pictures.  We  feel,  while  reading  it,  the  warm  sunlight 
of  spring ;  we  breathe  the  fragrance  of  fields  and  flowers ;  we  hear  the  songs 
of  birds  and  the  purling  of  sun-tipped  waters.  During  a  severe  attack  of  his 
constitutional  malady  at  Olney,  a  neighbor,  hoping  to  divert  his  mind  from 
dark  forebodings  and  vexing  thoughts,  presented  him  with  a  young  English 
hare.  It  was  a  timid  little  creature,  and  yet  it  possessed  a  susceptible  nature, 
and  became  so  docile  and  winsome  as  to  gain  the  poet's  affection.  The  people 
of  Olney  were  warm  friends  of  Cowper,  and,  seeing  him  pleased  with  the  leveret, 
generously  offered  him  other  pets  of  the  same  species.  He,  however,  accepted 
but  two.  In  an  article  published  in  the  "  Gentleman's  Magazine,"  he  tells  us 
that  in  the  year  1774,  being  much  indisposed  both  in  mind  and  body,  incapable 
of  diverting  himself  either  with  company  or  books,  and  yet  in  a  condition  that 
made  some  diversion  necessary,  he  was  glad  of  anything  that  would  engage  his 
attention  without  fatiguing  it. 

The  children  of  a  neighbor  of  his  had  a  leveret  given  them  for  a  plaything. 
It  was  at  that  time  about  three  months  old.  Understanding  better  how  to  tease 
the  poor  thing  than  to  feed  it,  and  soon  becoming  weary  of  their  charge,  they 
readily  consented  that  the  father,  who  saw  it  pining  and  growing  leaner  every 
day,  should  offer  it  to  his  acceptance. 

He  was  willing  enough  to  take  the  prisoner  under  his  protection,  perceiving 
that,  in  the  management  of  such  an  animal,  and  in  the  attempt  to  tame  it,  he 
would  find  just  that  sort  of  employment  which  his  case  required.  It  was  soon 
known  among  the  neighbors  that  he  was  pleased  with  the  present,  and  the  con- 
sequence was  that  in  a  short  time  he  had  as  many  leverets  offered  him  as  would 
have  stocked  a  paddock.  He  undertook  the  care  of  three,  which  he  named 
Puss,  Tiney,  and  Bess. 

The  English  hare  is  a  very  graceful  and  handsome  animal.  It  is  versi- 
colored, and  its  ears  are  longer  than  its  head.  It  remains  in  its  form  or  bur- 
row during  the  day,  but  comes  out  in  the  evening  twilight  in  search  of  food. 
It  is  an  affectionate  creature  when  tame,  and  exhibits  its  affection  in  many 
beautiful  ways. 

The  three  pets  —  Puss,  Tiney,  and  Bess  —  received  much  of  the  poet's  at- 
tention during  his  slow  recovery  from  the  effects  of  disease.  He  observed 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA. 


107 


concerning  them  that  each  had  a  character  of  its  own,  and  that  the  disposition 
of  each  was  indicated  by  its  countenance. 

"  Puss,"  says  Cowper,  "  was  tamed  by  gentle  usage ;  Tiney  was  not  tamed 
at  all ;  and  Bess  had  a  courage  and  confidence  that  made  her  tame  from  the 
beginning." 

Puss  was  Cowper's  favorite,  and  for  nearly  a  dozen  years  was  a  frequent  com- 
panion of  his  shadowed  hours.  Bess  was  a  comical,  frolicsome  creature,  and 
died  young.  Cowper  said  that  he  always  admitted  them  into  the  parlor  after 
supper,  where,  the  carpet  affording  their  feet  a  firm  hold,  they  would  frisk  and 
bound,  and  play  a  thousand  gambols,  in  which  Bess,  being  remarkably  strong 
and  fearless,  was  always  superior  to  the  rest,  and  proved  herself  the  Vestris  of 
the  party.  One  evening  the  cat,  being  in  the  room,  had  the  hardiness  to  pat 
Bess  upon  the  cheek,  —  an  indignity  which  she  resented  by  drumming  upon  the 
old  cat's  back  with  such  violence  that  the  cat  was  happy  to  escape  from  under 
her  paws,  and  hide. 

Tiney  was  a  surly  fellow,  and  would  bite  his  master  if  angered.  The  arts 
of  persuasion  and  kindness  produced  no  effect  on  him.  He  was  retained  as  a 
pet  only  for  the  reason  that  his  surliness  was  very  droll,  and,  in  its  way,  enter- 
taining. He  lived  nearly  nine  years.  "  The  Epitaph  on  a  Hare,"  found  among 
Cowper's  minor  poems,  was  written  on  the  death  of  Tiney. 

Puss  was  a  delightful  creature  in  every  way.  She  would  leap  into  her 
master's  lap  to  be  caressed,  and  would  fall  asleep  on  her  master's  knee. 
She  would  suffer  him  to  take  her  up,  and  to  carry  her  about  in  his  arms,  and 
had  more  than  once  fallen  fast  asleep  upon  his  knee.  She  was  ill  three  days, 
during  which  time  he  nursed  her,  kept  her  apart  from  her  fellows,  that  they 
might  not  molest  her  (for,  like  many  other  wild  animals,  they  persecute  one  of 
their  own  species  that  is  sick),  and  by  constant  care  and  trying  her  with  a 
variety  of  herbs,  restored  her  to  perfect  health. 

No  creature  could  be  more  grateful  than  his  patient  after  her  recovery ;  a 
sentiment  which  she  most  significantly  expressed  by  licking  his  hand,  —  first  the 
back  of  it,  then  the  palm,  then  every  finger  separately,  then  between  all  the 
fingers,  as  if  anxious  to  leave  no  part  of  it  unsaluted,  —  a  ceremony  which  she 
never  performed  but  once  again,  upon  a  similar  occasion. 

Finding  her  extremely  tractable,  Cowper  made  it  his  custom  to  carry  her 
always  after  breakfast  into  the  garden,  where  she  hid  herself,  generally,  under 
the  leaves  of  the  cucumber  vine,  sleeping  or  chewing  the  cud  till  evening;  in 
the  leaves  also  of  that  vine  she  found  a  favorite  repast. 

She  had  not  been  long  habituated  to  this  taste  of  liberty  before  she  began  to 
be  impatient  for  the  return  of  the  time  when  she  might  enjoy  it.  She  would 


108  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

invite  her  master  to  the  garden  by  drumming  upon  his  knee,  and  by  a  look  of 
such  expression  as  it  was  not  possible  to  misinterpret.  If  this  rhetoric  did  not 
immediately  succeed,  she  would  take  the  skirt  of  his  coat  between  her  teeth, 
and  pull  it  with  all  her  force. 

Thus  Puss  might  be  said  to  be  perfectly  tamed.  The  shyness  of  her  na- 
ture was  done  away;  and,  on  the  whole,  it  was  visible  by  many  symptoms 
that  she  was  happier  in  human  society  than  when  shut  up  with  her  natural 
companions. 

Puss  became  less  frolicsome  and  attractive  as  she  grew  old,  but  not  the  less 
loving.  It  is  in  allusion  to  Puss  that  Cowper  penned  the  passage  in  the  third 
book  of  the  "  Task,"  commencing:  — 

"  One  sheltered  hare 
Has  never  heard  the  sanguinary  yell 
Of  cruel  man,  exulting  in  her  woes  ; 
Innocent  partner,''  etc. 

The  tender-hearted  poet  closes  the  elegant  passage  thus :  — 

"  If  I  survive  thee,  I  will  dig  thy  grave, 
And  when  I  place  thee  in  it,  sighing,  say, 
I  knew  at  least  one  hare  that  had  a  friend." 

The  death  of  this  welcome  companion  of  many  a  bitter  hour  affected 
deeply  the  stricken  poet.  He  felt  that  an  innocent  joy  had  left  his  household, 
that  time  would  not  replace.  He  wrote  for  "  poor  Puss  "  this  Latin  epitaph  : 

"  Hie  etiam  jacet, 
Qui  totum  novennium  vixit, 

Puss. 

Siste  paulisper, 

Qui  praeteriturus  es, 

Et  tecum  sic  reputa  : 

Hunc  neque  canis  venaticus, 

Nee  plumbum  missile, 
.  Nee  laqueus, 

Nee  imbres  nimii, 

Confecere : 

Tamen  mortuus  est  — 
Et  moriar  ego/' 

Cowper  declared  that  he  would  not  add  to  his  list  of  friends  one  who  will- 
ingly would  tread  upon  a  worm.  He  ever  held  the  sportsman's  amusement 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA. 


109 


COWPER'S  HOUSE  AT  OLNKY. 

in  abhorrence,  saying  that  man  little  knew  what  amiable  creatures  he  persecuted. 
He  frequently  expresses  his  sympathy  for  the  brute  creation  in  his  charming 
pastoral  poems,  for  which,  doubtless,  we  owe  much  to  the  influence  of  winsome 
little  Puss. 


IIQ  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

I  also  recall  a  ballad  that  Ivory  used  to  sing,  that  had  an  interest- 
ing origin.  The  incident  that  inspired  the  writing  of  it  touched  the 
hearts  of  two  English  poets. 

About  the  year  1805  there  dwelt  in  the  district  a  young  man  of  ele- 
gant tastes  who  loved  to  explore  these  mountain  regions.  He  was 
conspicuous  for  his  literary  attainments,  and  greatly  beloved  for  his 
gentle  and  amiable  manners.  He  used  to  make  frequent  excursions 
among  the  wild  mountains,  and  would  spend  whole  days  feasting  his 
eye  on  the  exhaustless  beauties  they  afforded.  He  was  always  at- 
tended by  a  little  terrier  dog,  to  which  he  was  greatly  attached,  and 
which  was  ever  on  the  alert  to  do  his  master's  bidding.  Scott,  in  his 
ballad,  calls  the  young  man  the  Wanderer;  and  so  I  will  call  him 
now. 

One  spring  day,  when  the  streams  were  swollen,  and  the  mountains 
were  beauteous  with  waterfalls,  birds,  and  flowers,  the  Wanderer  set 
out  on  an  excursion  that  promised  unusual  attractions,  attended  by  his 
little  favorite.  He  penetrated  too  far,  or  remained  too  long;  night 
probably  overtook  him,  and  he  lost  his  way.  He  overstepped  a  preci- 
pice, and  was  dashed  in  pieces. 

For  several  months  the  little  dog  watched  by  the  remains  of  his  be- 
loved master,  only  leaving  them,  it  is  supposed,  to  obtain  necessary 
food.  The  remains  of  the  Wanderer  were  found  during  the  following 
summer,  by  a  party  of  excursionists ;  and  when  discovered,  the  terrier 
was  guarding  them  with  pitying  care. 

The  young  man's  name  was  Charles  Gough. 

Wordsworth,  with  Sir  Humphry  Davy  and  Sir  Walter  Scott,  as- 
cended Helvellyn  in  the  following  autumn,  and  visited  the  spot  where 
the  young  Wanderer  perished.  Both  Wordsworth  and  Scott  were 
much  affected  by  the  incident ;  and  the  former  composed  a  poem  en- 
titled "  Fidelity,"  and  Scott  a  poem  entitled  "  Helvellyn  "  in  each  of 
which  the  story  is  very  beautifully  told. 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA.  1 1 1 

As  the  season  advanced,  and  the  mocking-birds  began  to  sing,  and 
the  strange  brightness  of  the  Florida  atmosphere,  that  floods  the  earth 
as  the  winter  days  lengthen,  filled  the  tall  pines  and  the  curtains  of 
streaming  moss,  guests  flocked  to  the  hotel.  Among  them  were  many 
amateur  hunters,  —  invalids  who  had  been  sent  to  Florida  to  "shoot" 
for  their  health.  These  used  to  make  long  excursions  down  the  In- 
dian River  to  the  heronries,  and  return  with  spoils.  I  stuffed  many 
of  their  birds  for  them. 

Ivory  exerted  every  influence  in  his  power  against  the  destruction 
of  the  birds.  He  used  the  pencil  skilfully,  and  he  drew  two  pictures 
which  he  tacked  up  in  the  hotel  office, — pictures  that  told  a  story, 
and  that  were  in  harmony  with  his  thought.  One  was  of  a  dog  driving 
home  a  horse  for  help  for  his  drunken  master  who  had  fallen  from  the 
carriage  (see  Frontispiece) ;  and  another  was  of  a  young  lady  riding  on 
horseback  through  a  wood,  with  a  stuffed  bird  on  her  high  hat.  The 
bird  and  the  hat  rose  above  the  thicket,  and  a  hunter  in  the  thicket 
had  aimed  his  gun  at  the  bird,  and  a  panther  was  slowly  stealing  up 
behind  the  hunter.  It  was  entitled  "  All  of  a  Kind." 

It  was  always  instructive  to  hear  him  talk  of  birds.  One  of  his 
stones  that  used  to  please  the  negroes  was  about  the  morning  dance 
of  the  Birds  of  Paradise  in  the  islands  of  the  East. 

Ivory's  classification  of  birds  was  novel,  taken  from  some  old  and 
ingenious  naturalist.  "  Birds  are  classified  in  different  ways  by  dif- 
ferent ornithologists,"  he  said  one  day  as  a  large  group  of  friends  had 
gathered  around  him  on  the  veranda,  and  the  hunters  came  strolling 
home  to  the  hotel.  "  One  of  the  most  simple  and  ingenious  classifica- 
tions of  birds  is  that  of  an  English  naturalist,  based  chiefly  on  their 
peculiar  habits  of  constructing  nests.  He  divides  the  more  than  one 
hundred  different  genera,  and  more  than  five  thousand  different  spe- 
cies of  birds,  into  twelve  groups :  miners,  ground-builders,  masons,  car- 
penters, platform-builders,  basket-makers,  weavers,  tailors,  felt-makers, 
cementers,  dome-builders,  and  parasites. 


112 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


"  THE    ORIOLES    ARE    WEAVERS.' 


"  The  bank-swallows  and  the  petrels  afford  familiar  illustrations 
of  the  miners.  The  former  excavate  holes  in  the  earth  for  their  nests, 

sometimes  three  feet  in* 
depth  ;  the  latter  incubate 
in  similar  holes,  but  under 
the  rocks  and  stones  of 
rude  and  stormy  coasts. 

"  The  sparrows,  larks, 
larger  sea-birds,  and  nearly 
all  domestic  fowls  are 
ground-builders.  The  door- 
yard  robin  and  the  South 
American  baker-bird  are  ex- 
amples of  the  masons.  The  latter  cpnstructs'its  nest  in  the  exact  shape 
of  a  baker's  oven.  The  woodpeckers  and  chickadees  are  carpenters. 
The  eagles  and  most  of  the  large  forest-birds  are  platform-builders.  The 
white-headed  eagle  constructs  a  nest  that  is  a  perfect  cube,  five  feet  on 
each  of  its  sides.  The  nest,  or  platform,  of  the  African  martial  eagle 
is  capable  of  sustaining  the  weight  of  a  man.  The  mocking-bird,  the 
blackbird,  and,  more  remarkable  than  either,  the  sociable  grosbeck,  - 
hundreds  of  which  colonize  in  the  different  cells  of  the  same  nest,  - 
are  basket-makers. 

"  The  orioles  are  weavers.  The  East  Indian  weaver  and  the 
'Silvia  sutoria'  of  the  Orient  are  true  tailors.  The  former  sews 
together  leaves  with  fibres  of  cotton,  thus  making  a  bag,  which  it 
suspends  from  a  limb,  out  of  the  reach  of  the  monkeys,  and  in  which 
it  builds  a  very  beautiful  nest.  The  latter  sews  a  dead  leaf  to  a  living 
one,  and  builds  its  diminutive  nest  between  the  two.  The  goldfinches 
and  the  humming-birds  are  felt-makers. 

"  The  swallows  are  cementers.  These  sylph-like  creatures,  whose 
blithe  notes  ripple  on  the  morning  air  and  ring  sweetly  out  on  the 
surface  of  the  evening  lake,  who  twitter  beneath  the  eaves  of  grand 


IVORY  IN  FLORIDA. 


old  farm-houses  and  rear  their  young  in  roomy  out-buildings,  secrete  a 
kind  of  glue  in  glands  on  each  side  of  the  head,  and  with  this  they  are 
enabled  to  construct  their  truly  wonderful  nests. 

"  The  lawit,  a  kind  of  swallow  that  frequents  the  surf-beaten  caves 

on  the  south  coast  of  Java, 
eats  a  glutinous  seaweed, 
which  it  disgorges,  and  of 
this  vomit  makes  a  waxy 
nest  that  is  edible.  It  is, 

^^B.     J&  XS    perhaps,  the  most  remark- 

able of  the  cementers.     Its 
nest    is    about    the    size  of 
a   coffee-cup ;    and    the    natives 
who    collect    these   nests    for  the 
market   are    lowered    over  the  cliffs 
and    enter   the    tremendous    caverns 
of  the  sea  at  the  peril  of  their  lives. 
The    lawit's    nests  are  esteemed  in  cer- 
tain countries  as    the   greatest    possible 
luxury,  and  are  sometimes  sold  for  double 


"  SWALLOWS  THAT  FREQUENT  THE 
Sl'RF-BEATEN  CAVES.*' 


their  weight  in  silver." 


After  this  ingenious  little  lecture,  Ivory 
used  sometimes  to  be  chagrined  by  the 
colored  boys  bringing  him  birds  they  had  caught  or  killed,  with  the 
question,  "To  what  class  does  this  belong?"  He  once  answered  a 
hunter  who  asked  him  the  question :  "  To  that  of  the  undertakers." 
The  ornament  of  the  Southern  groves  and  forests  is  the  mocking- 
bird ;  and  he  possesses,  perhaps,  the  finest  musical  gifts  of  any  warbler 
of  our  own  or  of  any  other  land.  He  imitates  the  song  of  every  bird, 
and  surpasses  them  all  in  the  fulness  of  his  flute-like  melody.  Audubon 
says  that  the  best  notes  of  the  nightingale  do  not  equal  "  the  finished 
talent  of  the  mocking-bird."  Wilson  says:  "  The  ease,  elegance,  and 


114  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

rapidity  of  his  movements,  the  animation  of  his  eye,  and  the  intelli- 
gence he  displays  in  listening  to  and  laying  up  lessons  from  almost 
every  species  of  the  feathered  creation  within  his  hearing,  are  really 
surprising,  and  mark  the  peculiarity  of  his  genius.  To  these  qualities 
we  may  add  that  of  <a  voice  full,  strong,  and  musical,  and  capable  of 
almost  every  modulation,  from  the  clear  and  mellow  tone  of  the  wood- 
thrush  to  the  savage  scream  of  the  bald  eagle.  In  measure  and  accent 
he  faithfully  follows  his  originals ;  in  force  and  sweetness  of  expression 
he  greatly  improves  upon  them.  In  his  native  groves,  mounted  on  the 
top  of  a  tall  bush  or  half-grown  tree,  in  the  dawn  of  the  dewy  morning, 
while  the  woods  are  already  vocal  with  a  multitude  of  warblers,  his 
admirable  song  rises  pre-eminent  over  that  of  every  competitor." 

The  mocking-bird  is  able  to  imitate  all  the  minor  sounds  of 
Nature.  In  his  superb  rendering  of  the  song  of  the  thrush  he  will 
pause  to  mimic  the  bark  of  a  dog,  the  crowing  of  a  cock,  or  the  creak- 
ing of  a  wheelbarrow.  A  stranger  in  the  South  would  suppose  that  a 
magnolia  grove  was  alive  with  songsters,  in  which,  in  reality,  was  but 
a  single  mocking-bird. 

It  used  to  be  Ivory's  delight  to  feed  the  mocking-birds ;  and  a  few 
weeks  of  his  friendly  influence  served  to  make  those  of  the  grounds 
quite  tame  and  free  to  come  to  the  jessamines  that  shaded  the 
verandas  of  the  hotel. 

One  day  a  little  negro  brought  to  him  a  bird  of  very  brilliant 
plumage  that  was  not  very  common  in  Florida,  and  the  usual  company 
gathered  to  hear  what  he  would  say  of  it. 

"  Wat  am  dat  ?  "  asked  the  wondering  darkey. 

"  That  is  a  Baltimore  bird." 

"  Has  it  a  soul  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know." 

He  then  went  on  to  explain  to  the  little  boy  in  a  most  painstaking 
way  the  wonders  of  this  beautiful  inhabitant  of  the  air. 


CHAPTER    IX 


IVORY'S    STRANGE   STORIES. 

VORY  made  the  Christmas  in  the  almost  empty 
hotel  on  the  Indian  River  a  very  delightful  one. 
He  had  a  love  of  making  people  happy,  that 
seemed  to  carry  an  atmosphere  of  good  will  and 
feeling  wherever  he  went.  He  knew  a  hundred 
diversions ;  and  how  a  young  man  who  had  lived 
half  of  his  twenty-two  years  in  Siam  could 
have  become  familiar  with  so  many  ways  of 
diverting  and  entertaining,  was  a  mystery  to  us  all. 

"What  shall  we  have  on  Christmas  evening?"  I  asked  him  about 
a  week  before  the  holidays.  "  There  are  only  six  guests  in  the  hotel, 
and  others  will  not  arrive  until  after  New  Year's.  But  we  must  in- 
clude them  in  our  holiday  gathering,  as  three  of  them  are  children, 
and  two  invalids.  What  is  there  that  one  can  do  to  entertain  a  mis- 
cellaneous company?" 

"  Oh!  "  said  he,  "make  a  box  of  puzzles ;  and  then  '  The  Mysterious 
Guests'  is  a  very  amusing  diversion.  The  English  used  to  play  it  in 
Bangkok." 

"  How  is  it  played  ?  " 

"  The  people  assemble  in  a  room  for  a  reception.  There  appears 
a  stranger  at  the  door,  who  asks  to  be  admitted.  The  guest  is  dressed 
to  represent  some  character  in  history,  poetry,  or  fiction.  The  purpose 
of  the  play  is  to  recognize  who  the  guest  is.  Thus  the  caller  may  rep- 
resent, say,  Sindbad  the  Sailor,  Little  Miss  Flite,  Blondel,  Cleopatra. 


11 6  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE   ANTIPODES. 

Martha  Washington,  —  any  world-renowned  poet,  artist,  or  musician. 
He  must  treat  with  surprise  and  scorn  those  who  do  not  rightly  recog- 
nize him,  and  appear  delighted  to  meet  the  one  who  rightly  guesses 
his  name  and  calls  him  by  it. 

"  For  example,  suppose  the  character  assumed  to  be  Oliver  Gold- 
smith. 

"  A  man  in  a  wig,  gayly  trimmed  coat,  and  knee-breeches,  appears, 
and  bows  himself  in,  as  if  expecting  to  meet  old  friends.  He  says, 
perhaps,  on  entering :  — 

'  In  all  my  wanderings  round  this  world  of  care, 
In  all  my  griefs,  —  and  God  has  given  my  share, — 
I  still  had  hopes  my  latest  hours  to  crown, 
Amidst  these  humble  bowers  to  lay  me  down.' 

Or, 

'  Where'er  I  roam,  whatever  realms  to  see, 
My  heart  untra veiled  fondly  turns  to  thee.' 

"  '  How  do  you  do,  Lord  Byron  ? '  says  one  of  the  company. 

"  '  Lord  Byron  !  Lord  Byron  !  I  never  heard  of  Lord  Byron. 
You  are  not  the  friend  I  came  to  see.  You  do  not  know  me* 

"  '  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Shakspeare  ? '  says  a  young  person  who  is 
not  very  well  read  in  the  dramatic  poet. 

41 4  Mr.  Shakspeare  !  Why,  Shakspeare  died  long,  long  before  my 
time.  No,  you  do  not  know  me" 

"  He  quotes  :  - 

'  I  still  had  hopes  —  for  pride  attends  us  still  — 
Amidst  the  swains  to  show  my  book-learned  skill, 
Around  my  fire  an  evening  group  to  draw. 
And  tell  of  all  I  felt  and  all  I  saw.' 

" '  You  must  have  been  a  great  traveller.  How  do  you  do,  Baron 
Munchausen  ? ' 

"  So  the  play  goes  on. 

11 '  How  do  you  do,  my  old  friend,  Dr.  Goldsmith  ?  I  have  known 
you  since  boyhood,  and  am  glad  to  welcome  you  back  again.' 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES.  117 

"  A  mock  affecting  greeting  and  interview  follows.  Other  char- 
acters in  the  same  manner  appear.  In  circles  of  much  intelligence 
obscure  characters  may  be  provided  for,  and  the  company  thus  kept 
in  suspense  for  a  long  time. 

"  Readings  from  the  poets,  accompanied  with  songs,  are  pleasing. 
The  readings  selected  should  be  such  as  contain  a  song,  like  the  song 
4  Hail  to  the  Chief,'  in  Scott,  or  '  Araby's  Daughter,'  in  Moore's  *  Lalla 
Rookh.'  The  story  of  Paul  Dombey  may  be  read  from  Dickens,  and 
*  What  are  the  wild  waves  saying?'  sung  with  it. 

"  Music,  however,"  he  continued,  "  is  the  popular  entertainment, 
and  ballad  concerts  that  represent  history  and  national  sentiment  are 
always  pleasing.  The  old  songs  of  Germany,  England,  Scotland,  and 
Ireland,  in  costume,  suggest  many  entertainments.  Ballad  concerts  of 
imitative  songs,  such  as  *  Gayly  chant  the  summer  birds,'  '  The  cows 
are  in  the  corn,'  '  Oh,  whistle,  and  I  will  come  to  you,  my  lad,' 
4  Whippoorwill's  Song,'  etc.,  if  less  instructive,  are  pleasing  and  of  good 
influence. 

"  A  very  profitable  and  interesting  subject  for  general  conversation 
is  the  best  books  on  all  leading  topics  of  literature  and  art,  tested  by 
the  votes  of  its  members.  For  example,  the  subject  may  be,  '  Who 
are  the  six  greatest  living  poets  ? '  After  an  hour's  discussion  slips  of 
paper  are  presented  to  all  the  members,  and  a  vote  is  taken.  '  What 
are  the  best  twelve  books  for  young  people  ? '  to  be  discussed  and  voted 
upon  in  the  same  way.  '  What  President  has  exerted  the  best  moral 
influence  upon  the  country  ? '  The  voting  makes  it  very  lively  and 
interesting." 

THE   ASTROLOGER   FROM    SIAM. 

"  The  astrologer  from  Siam,"  said  Ivory,  "  is  another  very  good 
game,  and  the  character  may  be  assumed  by  the  amateur  magician. 
He  should  provide  himself  with  a  flowing  robe  and  sleeves,  a  tall 


n8 


ZIC.ZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE   ANTIPODES. 


paper  hat,  like  an  inverted  cornucopia,  and  should  have  an  umbrella 
with  a  very  long  handle,  which  he  should  carry  high  above  his  head 
as  he  enters  the  room.  In  parties  or  large  assemblies  he  may  appear 
with  his  face  slightly  bronzed  or  colored. 

"  On  entering  the    room,    a   confederate   asks   with    seeming   sur- 
prise, - 

'"Who  are  you  ? ' 
'"  I  am  Moonsee,  the  astrolo- 
ger from  Siam.' 

"  '  What  brings  you  here  ? ' 
"  '  I  come  to  recover  lost  treas- 
ure. When  we  bury  treasure  in 
Siam,  we  despatch  a  slave,  that 
his  spirit  may  watch  over  it,  and 
if  it  should  be  stolen,  reveal  to 
the  Wise  Men  where  it  has  gone. 
There  is  stolen  treasure  here  to- 
night ;  I  have  come  to  recover 
it.' 

" '  But,  Moonsee,  where  is  your 
authority  ?  How  do  we  know 
but  that  you  are  an  impos- 
tor?' 

" '  True,  true,'  putting  down 
his  umbrella,  and  striding  about 
in  his  flowing  robes.  '  Do  you 
see  that  coin  ?  Examine  it.  It 
shall  be  a  sign.' 

"  Moonsee  places  the  coin  against  the  side  of  the  wall,  rubbing 
it  up  and  down  carelessly,  and  says,  '  Spirit  of  the  murdered  Crow 
Shoon,  hold  the  coin  against  the  wall.' 

"  The  coin  remains  on  the  wall  as  Moonsee  withdraws  from  it. 


THE    ASTROLOGER    FROM    SIAM. 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES.  121 

"  *  Did  you  ever  see  a  coin  stick  against  a  wall  before  ? '  he  asks,  and 
answers:  '  No,  never.     Do  you  doubt  my  authority  longer? ' 

"  *  Yes,'  answers  the  confederate.     '  That  is  not  sufficient ;    I  must 
have  some  further  proof  of  your  commission.' 

"  The  rubbing  of  a  coin,  a  cent  or  a  ten-cent  piece,  against  a  smooth 
perpendicular  surface,  as  the  panel  of  a  door,  will  generally  cause  it  to 
stick  by  friction.  If  the  surface  of  the  coin  be  a  little  smooth,  it  will 
make  the  experiment  more  sure.  Moonsee  rubs  the  coin  up  and  down 
on  the  surface  of  the  door  or  wainscoting  before  he  leaves  it  to  the 
spirit  of  the  '  murdered  Crow  Shoon.' 

"  Leaving  the  coin  on  the  wall,  Moonsee  now  says,  '  Not  satisfied 
yet  ?  Well,  well !  you  burn  air  in  this  country,  I  see,  but  you  cannot 
burn  water.  No,  no,  but  Moonsee  can  burn  water.'  He  calls  loudly, 
4  Crow  Shoon  !  Crow  Shoon  ! ' 

"  Moonsee  fills  a  lamp  with  water  from  the  pail  or  faucet,  or  asks 
one  of  the  party  to  do  so.  He  then  says,  '  Wick  ?  wick  ?  There  is 
no  wick.  Ah,  I  will  use  ice  for  wick.  Never  the  like  was  seen  in  this 
country  before.' 

"  He  causes  some  ice  to  be  brought  to  him,  breaks  it,  and  places 
upon'  the  water  what  looks  to  be  a  piece  of  the  ice,  but  which  is  really 
a  piece  of  transparent  camphor  gum,  which  he  has  brought  with  him 
for  the  purpose.  He  lights  the  camphor  gum,  and  apparently  the  ice 
and  the  water  burn. 

"  Leaving  the  burning  water,  he  says,  '  Now  I  will  search  among 
you  for  the  lost  treasure,  for  surely  you  never  saw  water  burning  like 
that,  and  you  must  be  convinced  of  my  commission.' 

" '  No,'  says  the  confederate.  *  Not  yet.  We  must  have  one  more 
test.  You  must  be  able  to  tell  us  what  is  in  our  minds,  and  some- 
thing that  only  we  ourselves  can  know.  Do  this,  and  we  will  let  you 
search  for  the  treasure.' 

"  Moonsee  walks  or  strides  about  the  room,  rubbing  his  face  as  in 
great  perplexity,  and  then  calls,  '  Crow  Shoon  !  Crow  Shoon  ! ' 


,22  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  Moonsee  asks  for  a  sheet  of  paper.  He  cuts  the  sheet  into  little 
pieces,  and  asks  each  person  present  to  write  upon  a  piece  of  the 
paper  three  numbers ;  as  ten,  fifteen,  twenty-five,  or  any  like  figures. 
Moonsee  now  asks  for  a  package  of  envelopes  (which  has  previously 
been  put  into  some  convenient  place  for  the  occasion),  and  requests 
each  person  to  add  the  three  numbers  together,  to  place  them  in  one 
of  the  envelopes,  seal  the  envelope,  and  lay  it  upon  the  table. 

"  The  table  is  provided  before  the  performance  with  a  plate,  and 
on  it  is  set  a  lamp  to  prevent  its  disturbance.  Under  the  plate  is  an 
envelope,  with  three  added  numbers  on  a  paper  inside.  Moonsee 
gathers  up  the  envelopes,  and  says,  - 

" '  I  will  now  give  an  envelope  to  one  of  the  best  mathematicians 
in  the  room.  He  shall  open  it,  and  read  the  contents,  and  show  it  to 
each  of  you.  I  will  then  uplift  my  right  arm,  which  is  now  as  you  see 
white,  and  the  number  in  the  envelope  will  appear  in  black  figures 
upon  it.  But  I  will  first  have  to  burn  the  envelope,  after  it  has  been 
examined,  in  this  plate.' 

"  Moonsee  removes  the  lamp,  and  in  so  doing,  takes  up  his  own 
prepared  envelope  unseen  from  under  the  plate,  and  hands  this  to  one 
of  the  best  mathematicians  in  the  room.  The  mathematician  opens 
the  envelope,  reads  the  number,  and  shows  it  to  all,  then  crumples  it 
up  and  places  it  on  the  plate  to  be  burned.  He  may  burn  it  himself. 
Moonsee  rubs  the  ashes  of  the  burnt  envelope  upon  his  arm,  lifts  his 
arm,  and  the  correct  number  appears  in  jet  black. 

'  The  number  —  as,  for  example,  eight,  seventy-five,  or  five  hundred 
-  has  been  written  on  Moonsee's  arm  in  glycerine,  before  the  perform- 
ance. He  shows  his  arm  without  the  number,  as  the  dried  glycerine 
is  invisible.  On  rubbing  the  ashes  on  his  arm,  the  invisible  glycerine 
figures  immediately  appear,  to  the  astonishment  of  all  who  see  the 
transformation. 

4  Moonsee  now  proceeds  to  search  the  company.  He  finds  parts 
of  the  lost  treasure  on  the  persons  of  all  present,  —  curious  articles  and 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  SWRIES.  !  23 

coins,  which  he  has  already  in  his  sleeve  or  palm,  for  use.  He  seems 
to  pull  these  out  of  the  pockets  of  the  company.  Every  one  is  found 
to  have  stolen  treasures  on  his  person. 

"  At  the  close  the  confederate  explains  all,  and  says,  '  We  must 
look  upon  wonders  with  the  eyes  of  reason  rather  than  those  of  the 
head.  Prove  all  things.  Good-night,  Moonsee.' " 

Ivory  made  suggestion  after- suggestion,  and  at  last  said,  "  If  you 
wish  me  I  will  tell  on  that  evening  some  holiday  stories  that  I  learned 
in  the  East." 

I  was  pleased.  I  was  sure  that  Ivory's  stories  and  experiments 
would  be  most  acceptable  to  us  all,  and  very  novel ;  and  so  I  posted 
at  the  hotel  desk,  "  Siamese  Stories  and  Novelties  in  the  Parlor  on 
Christmas  Eve." 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  FAKIR,  OR  A  CHRISTMAS  EVE  IN  A  ZENANA. 

I  shall  never  forget  a  Christmas  which  I  spent  with  my  aunt  at  Maulmain 
on  my  return  from  America  to  Siam.  It  was  in  a  house  the  back  court  of 
which  had  once  been  a  zenana,  and  where  some  native  Christian  women  still 
lived.  I  was  walking  to  and  fro  in  the  court  which  opened  out  of  the  zenana. 
A  light  breeze  broke  the  stillness  of  the  air,  and  a  shower  of  blossoms  came 
drifting  down  at  my  feet.  A  cocoanut-palm  threw  its  shadow  across  the  wall 
of  the  half-open  paved  court,  and  on  the  wall  under  the  palm  sat  a  peacock 
and  a  monkey,  each  seemingly  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the  other. 
Whence  the  shower  of  blossoms  came,  I  could  not  tell.  Not  from  the  cocoanut- 
palm,  sure,  but  drifting  from  the  unknown  trees  that  rose  like  domes  of  bloom 
everywhere  in  the  air. 

"  Look  at  these  blossoms  !  "  I  said.  "  Just  like  a  snow-storm  in  the  North, 
or  a  shower  of  apple-blossoms  in  an  old  American  orchard.  The  day  before 
Christmas,  too !  Just  look  at  that  monkey !  "  said  I.  "  See  how  he  follows 
me  with  his  eyes,  and  turns  his  head  like  a  weather-vane  in  whichever  way  I 
go.  He  just  now  winked  at  me." 

"  Look  well  to  your  valuables !  "  said  my  aunt,  with  an  amused  expression, 
"  or  you  may  lose  them  and  lose  sight  of  the  monkey  at  the  same  time.  When 
I  lose  sight  of  the  monkey  I  usually  lose  sight  of  something  else,  and  I  always 
look  around  me  to  see  what  is  gone." 


I24  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  Do  you  observe  Christmas  in  India? "  I  asked. 

"When  I  first  began  to  work  in  the  zenanas,"  said  my  aunt,  who  was  a 
missionary,  "  we  had  no  Christmases.  But  things  are  changed  now,  or  you 
would  not  be  suspiciously  watching  the  monkey  here  in  the  very  court  of  a 
zenana.  Men,  especially  strangers,  seldom  used  to  be  allowed  to  enter  a 
zenana,  and  the  women  as  seldom  went  outside  of  it  and  its  court  except  for 
the  purpose  of  worship." 

A  zenana  in  India,  I  should  here  explain,  is  the  part  of  the  house  assigned 
to  the  women  and  children.  In  former  times  it  was  really  a  beautiful  prison 
for  women  and  girls.  Beautiful  it  may  well  have  been  made,  for  before  the 
English  rule  in  India  the  women  of  India  were  little  better  than  slaves,  and  the 
zenanas  were  nearly  all  that  they  saw  of  life.  It  is  one  of  the  purposes  of 
the  women's  missionary  societies  of  England  and  the  United  States,  to  educate 
the  women  and  to  secure  for  them  a  better  life.  This  had  been  my  aunt's  work 
for  a  number  of  years. 

The  house  which  she  had  rented  and  its  zenana  were  as  open  to  stran- 
gers as  any  English  home.  It  was  full  of  girls  and  Bible  women  under  in- 
struction, and  of  medical  supplies.  The  latter  fact  may  seem  strange,  but 
my  aunt  had  received  a  medical  education  as  a  part  of  her  preparation  for 
her  work. 

I  had  had  a  long  talk  with  aunt,  had  told  her  the  news  from  her  friends  at 
home,  and  she  had  given  me  a  view  of  her  life  and  work,  and  then  we  had  gone 
out  into  the  court  to  enjoy  the  cooler  air.  I  had  laid  my  guide-book,  which 
had  a  red  cover  and  which  folded  like  a  large  pocket-book,  on  a  bamboo  seat, 
and  had  interested  myself  in  the  showers  of  blossoms,  the  peacock,  and  the 
solemn  and  inquisitive  looking  monkey.  My  attention  was  diverted  by  the 
entrance  of  an  old  woman.  I  was  surprised  to  find  that,  though  an  Indian 
woman,  she  could  speak  English  well,  and  was  told  by  my  aunt  that  it  was 
on  this  account  she  had  taken  her  into  her  service  some  years  before,  and  had 
retained  her.  Her  girlhood  had  been  passed  in  an  English  family. 

"  She  is  a  faithful  old  creature,"  said  my  aunt.  — "  Just  look  at  that 
monkey !  " 

This  was  an  unexpected  turn  in  the  conversation.  I  looked.  The  monkey 
was  solemnly  seated  on  the  wall  as  before,  but  had  my  guide-book  in  one  hand 
and  was  holding  my  spectacles  across  its  eyes  with  the  other. 

I  was  about  to  say  "  Shoo  !  "  or  "  Scat !  "  I  was  not  sure  as  to  what  would 
be  the  proper  term  in  which  to  speak  to  a  monkey,  when  in  a  twinkling  he 
disappeared,  —  guide-book,  spectacles,  and  all. 

"  He  thought  it  was  a  hymn-book,"  said  the  old  Indian  woman. 


IVORY^S  STRANGE  STORIES. 


'25 


"  Surely,"  said  I,  "  monkeys  in  India  do  not  sing !  Your  work  has  not  gone 
so  far  as  that !  " 

"  No,"  said  my  aunt ;  "  but  nothing  pleases  him  more  than  to  sit  on  the 
wall  with  a  hymn-book  in  his  hand,  just  as  he  has  seen  us  hold  the  book  in 
meetings.  He  seems  to  think  that  a  book  makes  him  more  like  folks." 


"  WE   HAD   GONE   OUT    INTO   THE   COURT   TO   ENJOY   THE   COOLER    AIR." 

"  But  my  spectacles  !  how  did  he  ever  get  them?  I  put  them  in  my  vest- 
pocket,  and  did  not  miss  them." 

"  But  you  just  passed  under  the  cocoanut-palm  with  your  glasses  loose  in 

your  pocket." 

"  Aunt,"  said  I,  "  I  think  that  monkey  needs  some  further  moral  instruct 

"  I  will  get  your  book  and  spectacles  again,"  said  the  old  woman,  kindly. 
And  she  left  the  house  and  soon  returned  with  them,  after  which  the  monkey 
came  again  and  sat  down  solemnly  beside  the  peacock  on  the  wall. 

"  Oh,  you  villain  !  "  said  I. 

He  made  a  face  at  me. 

I  stamped. 


j26  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

He  made  another  hideous  grimace. 

"I  would  not  plague  him,"  said  the  old  woman,  gently.  "It  is  better,  I 
think,  to  have  the  good-will  of  a  monkey  than  his  ill-will.  You  will  find  him  a 
very  pleasant  friend." 

There  was  something  very  kind  in  the  old  woman's  reproof  and  spirit ;  so 
I  changed  my  expression  of  face  toward  my  new  friend  the  monkey,  and  he 
changed  his  at  once  toward  me,  just  like  a  face  in  a  mirror.  Then  I  laughed, 
and  he  jabbered. 

Then  the  queerest  Christmas  eve  that  I  have  ever  known  followed  this  in- 
troductory episode.  We  sat  down  in  the  court,  —  my  aunt,  the  old  woman,  and 
myself,  —  with  my  friend  the  monkey  on  the  wall.  Then  some  zenana  girls 
joined  us,  and  afterward  an  American  missionary  with  her  two  little  girls. 

We  talked  of  the  day  in  America,  —  of  the  bells,  the  green  churches  amid 
the  snow,  and  of  the  fabulous  Santa  Claus. 

"  You  have  no  Santa  Claus  in  India,"  said  I  to  Aunt.  "  It  must  be  a  great 
economy." 

"  But  we  have  the  Mysterious  Fakir  here,"  said  Aunt.  "  I  like  him  better 
than  Santa  Claus.  He  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  beings  of  whom  I  ever 
heard.  He  brings  good  luck." 

"  Is  he  the  rolling  fakir?  "  asked  one  of  the  little  girls. 

"The  rolling  fakir?"  asked  I.     "What  is  that?" 

"  Oh,"  said  my  aunt,  "  there  is  an  order  of  fakirs  in  India  that  roll." 

"Where?" 

"  In  the  road." 

"How  far?" 

"Well,  often  a  hundred  miles." 

"A  hundred  miles!     How?" 

"  Over  and  over." 

"  Roll  over  and  over  a  hundred  miles  !     What  becomes  of  their  clothes?  " 

"  Fakirs  have  but  very  scanty  clothing;   only  a  strip  of  cloth." 

"Doesn't  it  kill  them?" 

"  Oh,  no." 

"  Roll  over  and  over  a  hundred  miles  in  the  road !  "     I  laughed. 

The  monkey  gibbered.  I  felt  in  all  my  pockets  to  see  if  anything  were 
gone. 

said    I;    "India   is   a   queer  country.     Tell   us   about  the 
Mysterious  Fakir." 

"  An  old  nurse  first  told  me  the  story  some  years  ago.  I  have  sinde  met 
this  mysterious  man  several  times." 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES.  127 

"  Are  there  many  fakirs  in  India?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  there  are  — or  there  used  to  be —  several  million." 

"  Do  they  all  roll?  "  I  asked. 

"  Oh,  no.  Some  perform  their  religious  vows  by  hanging  upon  trees  with 
their  heads  downward ;  some  sit  with  uplifted  arms ;  but  most  of  them  beg. 
I  once  saw  a  fakir  who  had  sat  upon  a  rock,  almost  naked,  exposed  to  the  sun, 
for  years,  until  his  skin  was  tanned  like  leather.  He  looked  like  an  image,  and 
seemed  utterly  lost  to  the  world ;  and  the  people  used  to  worship  him  daily  as 
though  he  were  an  idol." 

"  But  tell  me  more  about  the  rolling  fakir,"  I  asked.  "  I  should  think  that 
the  wild  beasts  would  kill  him,  in  a  journey  of  a  hundred  miles,  that  the  tigers 
would  find  him  and  eat  him." 

"  It  seems  strange,  but  I  have  never  heard  of  any  fakirs  being  killed  by  a 
tiger.  But  your  thought  brings  to  mind  an  adventure  that  I  once  met  in  trav- 
elling through  a  jungle,  and  the  very  jungle  through  which  the  fakir  of  whom  I 
have  spoken  often  makes  his  journeys.  I  will  tell  you  this  story,  which  will  be 
very  oddly  different  from  those  which  our  English  and  American  friends  are 
telling  in  our  old  homes:  — 

"  I  was  travelling  one  hot  summer  day  in  the  open  country  with  a  party  of 
natives,  when  I  saw  in  the  highway  a  dark  object  rolling  over  and  over,  which 
looked  like  an  enormous  serpent.  The  natives  saw  it  at  the  same  time,  and 
appeared  greatly  pleased.  'The  fakir!  the  fakir!  '  they  exclaimed.  Now,  it 
is  considered  a  very  fortunate  thing  to  meet  this  mysterious  man,  and  it  is 
supposed  to  bring  good  luck  to  follow  him. 

"  The  natives  hurried  me  on  until  we  came  to  the  fakir,  when  we  travelled 
very  slowly  behind  him. 

"  He  did  not  seem  to  heed  us,  but  to  be  wholly  absorbed  in  what  he  held 
to  be  his  religious  duty.  He  had  black  eyes  which  seemed  fixed,  and  dark 
hair  which  was  filled  with  dust;  and  he  was  quite  naked,  except  a  breech- 
cloth. 

"  We  came  to  a  jungle,  and  I  was  glad  to  feel  the  cool  shadows  of  trees. 
At  last  the  jungle  grew  dense,  and  the  \vay  became  very  narrow. 

I  was  very  much  interested  in  the  movement  of  the  fakir  as  he  rolled  over 
id  over,  and  my  eye  followed  him  until  my  head  grew  dizzy. 

"Suddenly  a  shadow  seemed  to  darken  the  narrow  way.     I  looked  up,  and 
lirectly  before  us  saw  an  enormous  elephant.     I  was  frightened  and  confused: 
le  jungle  was  so  dense  that  I  could  not  see  how  I  was  to  get  out  of  the  way  ; 
id  what  was  to  become  of  the  poor  rolling  fakir? 

The  natives  did  not  seem  to  feel  or  express  any  alarm. 


12g  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  I  stopped  in  amazement  when  I  discovered  that  behind  this  large  elephant 
was  a  smaller  one ;  and  1  soon  found  that  these  two  were  not  all,  —  there  was  a 
troop  of  elephants  in  the  narrow  way,  following  each  other  in  single  file,  guided 
by  a  mahout. 

"  I  turned  to  run  back. 

•' '  It  is  all  right !  all  right !  '  exclaimed  the  natives  in  chorus.    '  Come  on  !  ' 

"  '  All  right ! '  I  exclaimed.     '  How  are  we  to  pass  the  elephants? ' 

"  '  Come  on  !  come  on  !     It  is  all  right !  '  exclaimed  the  natives  again. 

"Had  I  gone  mad?  All  right,  and  a  troop  of  elephants  travelling  toward 
us  in  the  narrow  way,  and  the  jungle  an  almost  solid  grove  on  either  side ! 

"  '  But  the  fakir?  '  I  said,  still  retreating. 

"  '  All  right !   it  is  all  right !     The  elephants  know  !   it  is  all  right !  ' 

"  I  expected  now  to  see  the  elephants  stop.  It  surely  could  not  be  all  right 
for  them  to  trample  over  the  body  of  the  rolling  fakir.  Would  they  stop  and 
let  him  roll  under  them,  and  let  us  pass  under  them  or  around  them? 

"  No ;  they  came  directly  on,  like  an  enormous  moving  mass  of  machinery. 

"  The  great  elephant  had  now  reached  the  fakir.  He  put  out  his  trunk,  and, 
to  my  astonishment,  lifted  the  fakir  to  his  head.  Then  he  dropped  his  hind 
legs  under  his  own  body  slowly  until  he  looked  like  a  hill,  and  the  pious  fakir 
rolled  down  his  back. 

"  The  second  elephant  did  the  same,  and  the  fakir  was  passed  on  in  this  wax- 
over  the  whole  troop  of  elephants. 

"  Then  one  of  the  natives  led  me  up  to  the  first  elephant.  I  found  myself 
suddenly  lifted  into  the  air.  I  then  felt  the  elephant's  body  settling  down.  I 
rose  up  on  the  elephant's  neck,  and  looked  down  the  huge  creature's  back.  It 
was  an  inclined  plane,  except  that  the  muscles  were  humped  like  a  flight  of 
stairs.  I  walked  down  cautiously  and  very  slowly. 

"  I  was  then  passed  over  the  whole  troop,  as  were  the  .natives,  and  we  were 
all  soon  following  the  rolling  fakir  through  the  jungle. 

'  You  will  have  good  luck,'  said  the  natives,  as  we  came  in  a  few  hours  to 
a  bamboo  town. 

"'Why?'  I  asked. 

"  '  Because  you  met  the  fakir.'  " 

So  passed  my  Christmas  eve  in  a  zenana,  and  I  have  never  forgotten  the 
odd  scenes  and  the  odd  story.  I  afterward  learned  that  in  the  narrow  streets 
of  certain  Indian  towns  trained  elephants  pass  people  over  their  backs  in  this 
rrmarkable  way. 

The  evening  became  cool  and  delicious.     The  stars  shone  brightly  through 


M?«fil2S^ri 


THK    PIOUS    FAKIR    ROl.l.KO    DOWN    HIS    BACK. 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES. 

the  dusk,  and  the  breath  of  flowers  floated  on  the  cooling  air.  The  old  Indian 
woman  sang  a  hymn  in  the  native  tongue.  Then  I  said  "Good-night"  to  my 
friends,  but  had  almost  forgotten  the  monkey.  I  recalled  him,  turned,  and 
made  a  grimace  to  him ;  he  made  a  face  to  me,  several  of  them  in  fact,  but  all 
expressive  of  much  friendliness  and  good-will.  And,  thinking  of  all  my  expe- 
riences in  this  strange  part  of  the  world,  I  fell  asleep  on  a  divan,  and  for  the 
first  Christmas  night  in  my  life  not  to  be  awakened  by  the  ringing  of  joyful 
bells  or  the  singing  of  sweet  carols. 


THE   STORY   OF   THE   RACHASSEE. 

The  Rachassee  is  found  among  the  national  emblems  of  Siam,  especially 
on  temples.  He  was  a  fabulous  monster,  and  though  not  a  bear  came  of  the 
bear  family.  He  grew  to  monstrous  size,  and  became  the  King  of  beasts. 

The  first  King  of  the  animal  kingdom,  according  to  the  Siamese,  was  an 
owl;  and  a  very  wise  King  he  must  have  been.  The  second  was  a  crow;  and 
he  not  unlikely  looked  well  to  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom.  The  third  was  a 
pheasant,  —  a  very  royal-looking  bird,  —  and  the  last  was  a  peacock. 

But  the  peacock  was  proud,  and  the  animals  rebelled,  and  a  very  democratic 
assembly  was  called  to  elect  a  King.  The  elephant  had  the  most  votes  and  was 
chosen,  but  the  tiger  would  not  submit  to  him.  There  was  anarchy.  At  this 
time  came  forward  the  Rachassee,  a  bear-lion  of  great  courage  and  power. 
He  offered  himself  as  a  champion.  He  fought  all  the  other  great  beasts  and 
overcame  them.  He  then  began  to  rule,  and  chose  a  mountain  top  for  his 
throne. 

He  made  one  very  wise  law  for  the  beasts.  It  was :  Never  go  near  man- 
kind. But  the  elephant  and  horse  disobeyed  the  law,  and  are  suffering  punish- 
ment for  it  to  this  day. 

He  reigned  for  a  time  in  great  dignity ;  but  the  dog  became  jealous  of  his 
power,  and  determined  to  destroy  him. 

"  There  is,"  said  the  dog,  "  another  King  in  the  mountains  as  powerful  as 
yourself." 

"  Show  him  to  me  !  "  said  the  Rachassee. 

"  Come  with  me !  "  said  the  dog. 

The  dog  led  him  to  the  top  of  a  cleft  mountain,  between  whose  precipices 
was  a  clear  lake,  like  a  great  mirror. 

"  Look  down !  "  said  the  dog. 

The   Rachassee  looked   down   and    saw  his    own   image  in  the  lake,   and 


,32  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

thought  that  it  was  another  and  a  rival  forest  King.     He  shook  his  head  in 
defiance;  so  did  the  beast  below. 

The  Rachassee  could  not  endure  this,  and  leaped  over  the  precipice  and 


"  A   VERY   WISE   KING   HE   MUST   HAVE   BEEN 


was  killed.     He  had,  however,  made  princes  of  the  white  elephants,  and  they 
succeeded  him  and  still  rule. 

Relics  of  the  Rachassee  were  long  sought  for,  and  those  who  obtained  them 
became  lords  and  princes. 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES.  135 

After  a  time  the  Rachassee  was  born  again ;  and  as  he  had  developed  great 
courage  as  a  beast,  he  was  born  this  time  above  the  estate  of  men,  as  a  god. 
So  people  came  to  worship  him. 

This  was  before  the  days  of  Buddha ;  and  so  the  images  of  the  Rachassee 
and  the  Elephant  are  usually  placed  on  the  outside  of  the  temples,  to  indicate 
the  more  ancient  worship. 

He  still  roars  at  times  in  the  deep  forests.  His  voice  is  like  thunder,  and 
it  splits  the  drums  of  the  ears  of  those  who  hear  it.  I  never  heard  of  a  Siamese, 
however,  whose  ears  were  thus  split. 

Ivory  admirably  acted  the  part  of  the  Astrologer  from  Siam,  and 
entertained  the  company  afterward  by  a  medley  of  odd  and  curious 
riddles  and  puzzles.  One  of  these,  he  said,  would  not  be  a  puzzle  in 
any  other  language  but  our  own,  so  it  was  a  double  puzzle.  It  was 
this :  — 

"  A  blind  fiddler  had  a  sister,  but  the  blind  fiddler's  sister  had  no  brother." 

Some  grammatical  sentences  which  he  gave  us  to  parse  were  as 

curious :  — 

"  His  office  as  judge  is  desirable." 

"  The  more  I  look  at  it  the  brighter  it  appears." 

"  I  was  not  aware  of  his  being  an  officer" 

"  To  be  or  not  to  be,  is  the  question" 

"  And  Harry's  flesh  it  fell  away." 

"  Two  times  two  are  four." 

And  the  following  in  the  same  vein  is  as  odd :  — 

"  We  are  little  airy  creatures, 
All  of  different  voice  and  features  : 
One  of  us  in  glass  is  set, 
One  of  us  you  '11  find  in  jet ; 
The  other  you  may  see  in  tin. 
And  the  fourth  a  box  within  ; 
If  the  fifth  you  should  pursue, 
It  can  never  fly  from  you." 

Among  other  things  that  Ivory  proposed  during  the  family  festival 
was  the  forming  of  a  Band  of  Mercy.  He  could  not  live  without  a 


ZIGZAG    JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

mission.     His  plan  was  to  organize  a  society  at  the  hotel,  unite  it  to 
the  Boston  Society,  and  then  to  multiply  it  among  the  negroes. 

My  aunt  Marden  sympathized  with  him  in  the  proposed  move- 
ment, and  ended  the  Christmas  entertainment  with  an  odd  story,  that 
not  only  pleased  Ivory,  but  quite  delighted  us  all. 


MY   FIRST   CHRISTMAS   OFFERING. 

"  Somebody  has  got  to  drop  that  kitten,"  said  my  aunt  to  me  one  day, 
when  I  was  a  little  girl. 

"Why?"  I  asked  innocently.  I  was  a  little  girl  of  ten  years.  I  had  been 
left  an  orphan,  and  had  been  given  a  home  with  my  aunt  in  a  simple  country 
town. 

"  Why  ?  Do  you  think  that  I  am  goin'  to  raisin'  cats  for  a  livin'  ?  We  've 
got  two  already,  and  I  'm  not  goin'  to  raise  any  more.  I  '11  tie  it  up  in  a  little 
bean-basket,  and  when  you  go  to  the  Children's  Offerin',  you  just  drop  it  down 
the  old  well  by  the  brier  pastur',  and  that  will  be  the  end  of  that." 

"  Oh,  Aunt!  "  exclaimed  I,  in  horror. 

"  What  now?  Nobody  ever  draws  any  water  out  of  that  well  only  for  the 
cattle  in  the  summer-time.  It  won't  hurt  it  a  mite." 

"  But  't  will  hurt  the  little  kitten." 

"The  kitten  won't  know  anything  about  it.  It's  only  just  got  its  eyes 
open." 

"But—" 

"But  what?" 

"  Would  n't  it  be  wrong?  " 

"  It  is  wrong  to  drop  kittens  round  at  other  folks'  doors,  as  some  folks  do. 
But 't  is  our  own  well." 

The  wee  kitten  lay  in  my  lap.  It  was  about  three  weeks  old,  and  oh,  how 
cunning  it  looked  !  —  a  little  ball  of  yellow  and  white,  with  bright  eyes  and  the 
faintest  possible  mew. 

A  yellow  kitten  was  not  common,  and  I  beheld  it  with  delight  when  its  fond 
mother  first  brought  it  into  the  sitting-room  in  her  mouth.  The  old  cat  and  I 
were  great  friends,  and  she  showed  great  pride  when  she  laid  down  on  the  rug 
before  me  this  little  yellow  kitten.  I  had  adopted  the  bit  of  velvety  beauty 
at  once,  and  had  dreamed  that  we  would  be  playmates  when  the  summer 
came. 


\// 


' 


A 


ITS   FOND   MOTHER   FIRST   BROUGHT  IT   INTO  THE  SITTING-ROOM   IN   HER   MOUTH.' 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES. 

Drop  the  kitten  down  in  the  well !  I  could  almost  as  soon  have  dropped  a 
little  baby  into  such  an  awful  receptacle.  I  was  an  obedient  child,  and  a 
truthful  one,  but  I  at  once  resolved  in  my  heart  that  I  would  never  do  a  dread- 
ful deed  like  that,  and  began  to  devise  in  my  mind  ways  of  saving  my  pet.  I 
sat  in  silence,  thinking  of  the  cold  well,  the  ice,  and  the  bean-basket,  and  won- 
dering how  it  could  have  entered  my  aunt's  heart  to  plan  such  a  tragedy. 

"  Come,  Mattie,  you  Ve  tended  that  kitten  long  enough.  There 's  somethin' 
to  do  in  this  world  besides  waitin'  upon  cats.  Have  you  got  your  lesson  for 
the  doin's  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"What  lesson,  aunt?" 

"  Why,  have  n't  I  told  you  over  and  over  again,  and  here  you  are  studyin' 
cats,  like  a  regular  stupid  !  '  What  lesson  ? '  Don't  you  know  that  the  rector 
said  that  when  you  made  your  offerin'  you  must  repeat  a  verse  of  poetry,  or 
passage  of  Scriptur',  or  somethin'  or  other?  Now,  what  are  you  goin'  to  say?" 

"  I  don't  know,  Aunt." 

"  No,  you  're  not  goin'  to  say,  '  I  don't  know,  Aunt ' ;  that 's  nothin'  to  say. 
You  're  goin'  to  say  somethin'  about  charity,  or  mercy,  or  —  " 

"She  might  say, 'A  merciful  man  is  merciful  to  his  beast,'"  said  Uncle, 
looking  up  from  his  almanac.  "  How  would  that  do?  " 

"  It  would  n't  do  at  all.     Say,  Mattie,  '  Blessed  are  the  merciful.'  " 

The  beautiful  words  added  to  my  horror.  I  had  a  very  tender  conscience, 
and  my  mother  had  taught  it  to  respond  to  all  such  teachings  as  this.  I  thought 
of  her  now,  and  began  to  cry.  Aunt  was  busy  at  the  stove,  changing  the  pots 
and  kettles.  Suddenly  she  turned  to  me  and  said,  - 

"What  is  it?  " 

I  repeated  the  text. 

"  That 's  right,  Mattie ;  that  shows  your  bringin'  up.  Now,  I  have  made  a 
beautiful  calico  apron,  and  put  it  into  a  box ;  so  when  your  name  is  called,  you 
just  take  the  box  and  go  up  to  the  pulpit  and  drop  the  box  into  the  basket, 
just  as  you  see  the  rest  of  'em  do,  and  say  these  words.  And  it  is  time  for  you 
to  be  gettin'  ready,  and  I  '11  get  the  kitten  ready.  Here,  let  me  have  it." 

I  shall  never  forget  that  afternoon  as  I  started  out  on  my  double  commis- 
sion. It  was  the  day  before  Christmas.  The  country  was  white  with  snow,  and 
the  long  pine  woods  were  bright  with  crystals.  The  roads  were  gay  with  sleigh- 
bells,  and  the  ponds  were  merry  with  the  voices  of  the  skaters.  I  should  have 
been  wonderfully  happy  had  it  not  been  for  the  little  basket  on  my  arm  and  its 
precious  contents. 

My  aunt  followed  me  to  the  gate.  So  did  the  old  cat.  Her  eyes  were 
filled  with  reproach. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"Now,  what  are  you  goin'  to  say,  Mattie?" 

"  '  A  merciful  man  is  — ' ' 

"  No,  no ;  that 's  not  what  you  are  to  say.  There  ain't  no  truth  in  that,  any- 
how; that's  one  of  Ben  Franklin's  proverbs,  or  some  such  worldly-minded 
poet.  What  you  are  to  say  is  this ;  "  and  she  gave  me  my  lesson  again  with 
emphasis.  "  Now,  don't  you  forget.  What  a  beautiful  walk  you  will  have  !  I 
wish  I  was  goin'  too.  I  always  loved  to  do  good  to  the  poor." 

The  old  cat  purred  around  me  and  rubbed  herself  against  my  feet,  as 
though  she  too  had  a  parting  word  to  say.  I  was  in  full  sympathy  with  her. 
"  Mew !  "  How  it  went  to  my  heart !  She  knew  that  her  kitten  was  in  the 
basket,  and  that  her  family  had  from  time  to  time  mysteriously  disappeared. 
She  seemed  to  have  confidence  in  me,  but  to  be  very  uncertain  in  regard  to 
what  was  going  to  happen.  "  Mew !  " 

My  aunt  seized  the  cat  and  took  her  into  the  house,  saying,  as  she  shut  the 
door,  "  Don't  forget  to  take  the  kitten,  Mattie." 

I  was  not  likely  to  forget  the  kitten.  The  bit  of  a  basket  on  my  wrist 
already  .seemed  as  heavy  as  a  basket  of  grain.  I  started  toward  the  church. 
What  was  I  to  do?  My  first  impulse  was  to  drop  the  kitten  at  some  door  as  I 
passed  along,  but  I  recalled  what  my  aunt  said  about  the  meanness  of  such  an 
act  as  that.  I  opened  the  basket  and  peeped  in.  There  came  from  it  a  little 
faint,  helpless  "  Mew !  "  just  like  a  whisper.  I  opened  the  basket  further.  Oh, 
how  cunning  the  little  thing  looked  !  I  thought  of  the  old  cat  and  her  family 
affliction.  I  came  to  the  well  by  the  pasture  wall.  I  could  go  no  further. 
My  feelings  quite  overcame  me,  and  in  spite  of  the  cold,  I  sat  down  .on  an 
icy  stepping-stone  in  the  stone  wall  near  the  well,  and  began  to  cry. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  my  little  girl?  " 

The  voice  was  very  kind  and  pleasant.  I  looked  up.  It  was  the  rector.  I 
was  dumb.  What  could  I  say? 

"  You  surely  ought  to  be  very  happy,  my  little  girl,  with  two  offerings  for 
the  poor  on  such  a  day  as  this.  Give  me  your  box,  my  little  girl,  and  let  me 
take  your  hand,  and  we  will  walk  along  together." 

Was  ever  a  child  before  placed  in  such  a  situation  as  this?  "  Two  offer- 
ings !  "  The  words  brought  to  my  darkened  mind  an  idea.  I  would  put  both 
my  offerings  into  the  contribution  basket,  and  would  say  over  them,  as  I 
dropped  them  in,  the  words  of  the  "  worldly-minded  poet,"  for  my  lips  could 
never  use  Scripture  in  such  a  complicated  moral  situation.  I  felt  relieved,  and 
was  proud  of  the  rector's  attention  and  company. 

We  reached  the  chapel.  It  was  hung  with  evergreens,  and  in  front  of 
the  pulpit  was  an  immense  basket,  also  trimmed  with  evergreens,  and  partly 


"  HER   EYES    WERE    FILLED    WITH    REPROACH." 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES. 


'43 


surrounded  with  pot  plants.  Into  this,  at  the  proper  time,  the  children  were 
to  drop  their  offerings,  and  repeat  while  they  did  so  the  world's  best  thoughts 
on  charity. 

The  rector  had  planned  this  service,  and  it  had  been  a  part  of  the  yearly 
festival  for  a  long  time.  The  offerings  consisted  largely  of  home-made  articles, 
and  these  were  given  on  Christmas  morning  to  the  poor  women  and  children 
of  the  parish. 

"  It  educates  the'children  to  be  charitable,"  said  the  good  rector.  "  Children 
should  be  as  much  educated  to  be  feeling  and  benevolent  as  to  be  industrious. 
What  a  child  is  before  he  is  ten,  he  will  be  all  his  life.  It  is  not  only  for  the 
present  that  I  do  this  thing ;  these  charities  are  only  the  seed :  they  will  blos- 
som when  I  am  gone." 

Dear  old  man !     He  has  long  been  gone,  and  the  seeds  still  blossom. 

The  children   sang   their  carols.     Then  came  the  literary  exercises   and 
offerings.     My  name  was  called.     I  walked   up  to  the  basket  with  trembling 
limbs  and  made  my  two  offerings, 
and  said,  with  a  gasp,  "  A  merciful 
man    is   merciful   to  his  beast"     I 
saw  a  look  of  surprise  in  the  old 
rector's  face  as  I  made  this  unex- 
pected announcement;  but  it  went 
away,  and  gave  place  to  the  usual 
benevolent  smile. 

I  was  not  happy  after  I  returned 
to  my  seat.  My  feet  were  in  per- 
petual motion.  It  seemed  to  relieve 
my  palpitating  heart  to  swing  them 
like  two  pendulums.  During  the 
last  prayer  I  chanced  to  kick  over 
a  footstool  in  the  pew  in  the  ex- 
citement of  my  nervous  motions. 
It  was  very  still  in  the  room  at  the 

time,  and  the  bang  was  most  startling.  I  then  felt  more  excited  than  ever. 
I  was  covered  with  perspiration,  and  I  could  hear  my  heart  beat. 

I  dreaded  the  question,  when  I  should  return,  "  Did  you  drop  the  kitten?1 
What  should  I  say? 

Uncle  had  "  chills  "  when  I  returned.  Aunt  was  giving  him  a  "  sweat,"  and 
she  only  said  to  me,  "  Did  you  have  a  good  time,  Mattie?  " 

Christmas  morning  came.     It  had  been  many  times  a  happy  hour  to  me. 


- 


"  SHE  'S   BROUGHT   IT   HOME,   BASKET 
AND   ALL." 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

the  early  light  of  the  day  of  the  world's  festival.  But  I  had  passed  a  feverish 
night,  and  Aunt  never  acted  the  pleasant  fiction  of  Santa  Glaus,  as  my  poor 
mother  had  done. 

I  did  not  rise  early.  I  heard  the  distant  bells  ring,  and  thought  of  my  old 
home.  Then  I  heard  a  pitiful  cry  atthe  front  door :  "  Mew  !  " 

It  was  repeated  over  and  over.  At  last  I  heard  my  aunt  go  to  the  door. 
She  closed  it  with  a  bang,  and  cried,  — 

"  Mattie  !  Mattie  !  get  up  !     I  shall  give  it  up  now.     Oh,  merciful  me  !  " 

"  What,  Aunt?     What  has  happened?  " 

"  You  come  right  down  and  see.  That  cat  has  been  and  gone  and  got  her 
kitten  right  out  of  the  well." 

"  Is  it  dead?  "  I  asked  tremblingly. 

"Dead?  no;  just  as  alive  as  it  was  when  I  put  it  into  the  basket.  She's 
brought  it  home,  basket  and  all." 

"  Give  it  to  me,  Aunt,  for  a  Christmas  present.  I  '11  be  real  good  for  the 
whole  year,  and  wash  the  dishes  every  morning." 

"  Well,  I  will,  Mattie,  since  your  heart  is  set  upon  it ;  and  it  is  all  so  mys- 
terious. This  is  a  queer,  queer  world." 

I  was  very  helpful  that  day.  I  wondered  how  it  all  could  have  happened, 
but  I  never  said  a  word.  Somehow  the  cat  must  have  got  into  the  chapel  and 
taken  the  kitten  out  of  the  basket,  as  the  presents  were  to  remain  in  the  basket 
during  the  night.  A  few  months  later  I  relieved  my  unhappy  conscience  by 
making  a  full  confession  to  my  aunt  and  to  the  good  old  rector. 

So  ended  our  Christmas  with  Ivory. 

Quarrels  arose  among  the  young  negroes,  and  Ivory  always  acted 
as  a  peacemaker.  While  thus  acting  one  day,  a  negro  boy  violently 
kicked  him,  and,  a  hemorrhage  following,  a  physician  had  to  be  called. 

"  Did  you  knock  the  young  scamp  over? "  asked  the  latter. 

"  No ;  he  was  sorry  a  moment  after,  and  that  made  me  sorry  for 
him,"  said  Ivory. 

After  the  doctor  had  gone,  he  said  to  me,  "Tell  little  Pomp  that 
the  hurt  is  not  serious,  and  I  shall  be  better  soon." 

I  was  indignant.  "  Ivory,"  I  said,  "  you  have  no  spirit  at  all.  If 
you  allow  such  habits  of  cowardice  to  grow,  where  will  it  end  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Manton,  if  I  am  ever  called  to  face  danger  for  duty's  sake, 


•A    NEGRO    BOT    VIOLENTLY    KICKED   HI*." 


IVORY'S  STRANGE  STORIES. 


'47 


you  will  not  find  me  a  coward.  I  sometimes  think  I  may  be  called  to 
give  my  life  for  some  good  cause ;  if  so,  the  cause  may  have  it.  I  can- 
not be  cruel.  I  cannot  do  wrong,  but  I  can  surfer  wrong.  Some  day 
you  will  have  cause  to  change  your  opinion  of  me." 

It  was  a  prophecy.  I  recall  it  now  with  a  tender  heart.  It  is  the 
"  loving  who  are  the  daring,"  and  the  sympathetic  who  have  the  most 
to  offer  to  others  when  the  day  of  testing  comes.  Poor  Ivory !  it  was 
his  last  Christmas.  How  beautiful  was  the  memory  that  he  left,  in 
view  of  the  events  that  followed ! 


CHAPTER   X. 


JAVA. —THE   STORY    OF   THE    FLYING    DUTCHWOMAN. 

N   March,  Ivory  received  a  letter  from  his  father 
which  was  a  surprise  to  me. 

BANGKOK,  SIAM. 

MY  DEAR  SON, —  The  East  India  Company  for  the 
running  of  telegraph  lines  have  new  plans  for  Sumatra, 
Java,  and  the  Malay  Peninsula.  I  do  not  know  defi- 
nitely what  these  plans  are,  but  they  wish  to  employ 
new  telegraph-operators  and  linemen,  and  I  am  asked 
to  recommend  some  English  and  American  young  men  to  them,  to  whom  they 
may  apply.  If  you  will  now  return  to  their  service,  your  pay  will  be  advanced 
on  account  of  your  experience.  They  desire  to  employ  you  again,  and  wish 
me  to  say  this  to  you. 

Would  your  cousin  Manton  like  a  place  in  this  service?  If  so,  I  could  se- 
cure it  for  him,  as  a  practical  telegraph-operator  or  as  a  lineman,  or  both.  He 
has  had  experience  as  a  telegrapher  in  the  great  hotels,  and  he  would  receive 
very  liberal  payment  for  service  in  the  Company.  His  expenses  would  be  paid 
to  and  from  Bangkok,  and  his  salary  would  not  be  less  than  .£400  for  the  first 
year. 

The  rest  of  the  letter  was  personal. 
Had  a  title  and  a  fortune  fallen  to  me,  I  could  not  have  been  more 
astonished. 

"  You  will  go  ?  "  said  Ivory. 

"Will  you  return?" 

"  Yes ;   I  like  the  service." 


A   JAVAN   BASKET-MERCHANT. 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN.  151 

"  And  the  Company  like  you." 

"  I  tried  to  serve  them  well." 

"  But  I  have  not  studied  telegraphy  as  I  ought,  to  become  a  line- 
man." 

"  Take  up  the  study  now.  The  mere  running  of  lines  is  easily 
learned  ;  you  know  the  rest,  except  the  recent  electrical  experiments 
and  improvements.  Get  the  latest  books  on  the  subject,  and  we  will 
study  them  together." 

I  hardly  slept  for  a  week.  My  friends  in  Florida  advised  me  to 
accept  the  situation  offered,  and  to  go  to  Bangkok  with  Ivory.  I  con- 
sidered the  matter  well,  and  decided  to  go.  I  had  never  dreamed  of 
an  employment  in  life  like  that,  or  in  such  a  part  of  the  world. 

Another  letter  came  to  Ivory  from  his  father  soon.  One  of  the 
new  plans  of  the  country  was  work  in  Java. 

Java  ?  I  knew  little  of  the  island.  My  only  knowledge  of  it  was 
derived  from  the  school  Geography,  the  "  Old  Government  Coffee  "  that 
we  had  used  at  the  hotel,  and  a  very  queer  old  coast  story  that  I  had 
heard  when  spending  a  winter  in  a  town  near  Cape  Ann. 

It  was  a  long  time  since  I  had  heard  the  quaint  old  story  which 
had  pictured  to  me  Java.  I  recalled  it  now,  and  told  it  to  Ivory  one 
day,  and  afterward  to  the  people  of  the  hotel  at  a  "  coffee  party  "  in 
which  Java  coffee  was  the  principal  beverage. 


THE   FLYING   DUTCHWOMAN. 

I  remember  her  well.  She  lived  in  a  house,  or  rather  hut,  roofed  with  kelp, 
and  in  the  summer  covered  with  morning-glories.  She  was  short  and  stout,  and 
her  hair  was  gray,  and  she  did  not  look  as  though  she  could  fly. 

But  the  fishermen  said  that  the  old  Dutchwoman  had  wings.  They  had 
often  seen  a  dark  mysterious  object  passing  through  the  air  at  night,  along  the 
coast;  and  whenever  any  such  indefinable  form  was  seen  in  the  starlight,  the 
simple  people  claimed  that  it  was  the  Flying  Dutchwoman.  It  was  one  of  the 
awe-inspiring  events  of  the  village,  to  hear  some  new  tale  of  the  shadowy  flight 


152 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 


of  the  lone  Dutchwoman  at  night,  among  the  bats  and  owls,  the  night-hawks 
and  night-herons.  One  old  sailor  declared  that  he  had  seen  her  "  flying  right 

into  the  stars ;  "  but  it  will  be  hard  to  believe, 
in  this  scientific  age,  that  she  ever  ascended 
quite  as  high  as  that. 

How  did  the  idea  form  in  the  minds  of 
the  villagers  that  the  harmless  old  lady  could 
fly?  The  evolution  of  the  story,  like  that  of 
the  German  popular  legend  of  Dr.  Faustus 
or  Faust,  was  a  very  simple  one.  A  half-cen- 
tury before  she  had  come  to  the  village,  the 
witchcraft  delusion  had  more  or  less  excited 
all  the  villages  along  the  coast,  and  in  many 
towns  there  were  shattered  old  women  who 
were  believed  to  be  able  to  fly.  The  reason 
for  these  aerial  journeys  was  supposed  to  be 
a  nightly  gathering  of  witches  in  some  mys- 
terious retreat  in  the  forest.  There,  in  an 
unknown  forest  circle,  the  old  women  thus 
provided  with  wings  were  fancied  to  gather 
to  meet  the  Evil  One  and  to  dance.  The 
popular  fancy  pictured  them  as  dancing  in 
a  circle  under  the  light  of  the  moon,  and 
sometimes  as  surrounded  by  cats  and  owls. 
In  several  instances  poor  old  women  were 

put  to  death  for  being  accused  of  attending  these  awful  and  mysterious  gath- 
erings. Cotton  Mather  was  the  leading  clergyman  in  New  England  at  that 
time,  and  he  led  what  he  believed  to  be  a  holy  warfare  against  witches  and 
"  powers  of  darkness;  "  and  under  the  influence  of  his  opinions,  even  a  brother 
clergyman  had  been  put  to  death  as  being  a  wizard.  The  people  believed 
all  the  marvellous  stories  that  he  told  in  his  "  Magnalia  "  and  "  New  English 
Canaan,"  and  followed  his  teachings  as  though  he  had  been  an  inspired 
prophet. 

The  witchcraft  delusion  passed  away  in  a  measure,  but  it  left  its  influence 
on  the  minds  of  the  people  for  an  hundred  years.  Queer  people  were  no 
longer  brought  before  the  courts  as  witches,  but  they  were  still  suspected  of 
witchcraft,  and  so  became  a  terror  to  themselves  and  the  community. 

While  this  superstition  still  lingered,  Hans  Hollander,  a  young  trader, 
afterward  a  fisherman,  and  his  pleasant  wife  Mary,  came  to  the  fishing- 


"  SHE  DID  NOT  LOOK  AS  THOUGH 
SHE  COULD  FLY." 


THE   JAVA    COFFEE-MARKET. 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN. 


'55 


village  and  built  them  a  house  or  hut  near  the  coast,  on  the  borders  of  the 
town. 

Hans  was  employed  by  the  Netherlands  Trading  Company,  which  con- 
trolled the  trade  of 
Java,  as  their  agent 
in  bringing  Java, 
or  Old  Govern- 
ment, coffee  to  the 
port  of  Boston. 
This  company  was 
formed  by  King 
William  I.  in  1824, 
and  in  the  next 
fifty  years  so  de- 
veloped Java  as  to 
make  the  island 
a  mine  of  riches 
to  the  Dutch.  It 
lends  money  to 
young  coffee  and 
sugar  growers, 
transports  the  pro- 
ducts of  Java  to 
Amsterdam,  and 
thence  to  the  mar- 
kets of  the  world. 

The  Dutch 
ships  used  to  re- 
main in  the  port 
of  Boston  from 
January  until  mild 
weather,  engaged 
in  trade;  and  Hans 
came  to  like  Amer- 
ica, and  bought  a 
little  place  that 

had  once  been  occupied  by  one  of  his  own  countrymen  on  the  coast.  The 
house  was  a  very  simple  one,  but  he  and  his  wife  lived  happily ;  she  spending 
the  summers  alone,  and  he  the  winters  in  part  with  her. 


"  THE   FISHERMEN    SAID   SHE    HAD   WINGS." 


156  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

The  Hollanders  were  social  folk,  and  very  hospitable  on  small  means; 
people  used  to  go  to  see  them  on  long  winter  evenings  to  drink  Java  coffee, 
and  to  hear  Hans  relate  the  wonders  of  Java.  He  used  to  tell  stories  about 
the  swallows'  nests  of  Java,  and  the  adventures  of  those  who  gathered  them 
for  the  Chinese  markets;  of  the  caverns  at  Karang  Bollong,  in  Java,  with 
their  hundreds  of  thousands  of  swallows,  which  yielded  to  the  markets  a  half- 
million  of  nests. 

Among  Hans's  wonderful  stories  was  that  of  Boro  Buddor,  or  of  Great 
Buddha,  the  ruins  of  which  he  himself  had  seen  in  Java.  Buddhism  was  the 
old  religion  of  Java,  but  was  overthrown  by  Mohammedanism.  Boro  Buddor 
was  the  great  Buddhist  temple  of  Java.  It  was  a  pyramid  as  large  as  a  hill, 
with  terraces  filled  with  most  beautiful  statues.  It  was,  in  its  day,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  structures  in  the  world. 

Hans  died  at  Java;  but  his  wife  continued  to  live  on  Cape  Ann,  a  lonely 
woman.  She  supported  herself  by  hard  work  among  the  families  of  the  place. 

The  story  of  the  "Flying  Dutchman"  —  a  ship  that  was  supposed  to  be 
doomed  forever  to  sail  the  sea  and  never  come  to  port  —  was  a  favorite  story 
of  the  old  Amsterdam  sailors  who  traded  among  the  islands  of  the  Indian  Ocean 
and  brought  coffee  from  Java  to  Amsterdam,  and  was  one  of  the  wonder- 
tales  among  the  Cape  Ann  fishermen  as  well  at  this  time.  Mary  Hollander 
herself  used  to  tell  it  to  the  children  after  her  hard  day's  work  at  the  wash- 
tub,  although  she  did  not  pretend  that  it  was  true. 

Around  the  cottage  were  several  martin-bird  cages  on  high  poles.  Hans 
had  made  them  and  set  them  up,  and  he  used  to  call  the  martin-birds  Java 
swallows.  After  his  death  his  wife  had  planted  hop-vines  around  them ;  and  she 
always  seemed  glad,  I  have  been  told,  when  the  swallows  returned,  because 
the  return  of  the  birds  recalled  her  happy  life  with  Hans. 

Mary  grew  old  and  odd.  She  kept  a  black  cat,  which  was  regarded  as  a 
suspicious  circumstance  in  those  days.  The  great  woods  at  the  back  of  the 
town  were  filled  with  birds  —  "  quarks  "  they  were  called  in  the  local  tongue  — 
that  came  to  the  coast  at  night  for  shell-fish.  These  birds  were  dark,  with  long 
necks.  They  flew  in  small  flocks ;  and  in  the  dusk  or  in  the  starlight  or  moon- 
light the  flocks  appeared  like  one  body.  These  flocks  of  "  quarks "  often 
settled  down  on  the  coast  at  low  tide,  just  outside  the  village,  near  Mary 
Hollander's  simple  hut ;  and  here  the  local  sportsmen  sought  them,  and  we  do 
not  doubt  that  it  was  the  return  flight  of  these  birds  laden  with  food  for 
their  young  that  gave  the  impression  of  poor  Mary  Hollander's  journeys 
among  the  bats  and  herons  and  "  into  the  stars."  Certain  it  is  that  she 
became  known  as  the  "  Flying  Dutchwoman ;  "  and  many  people,  and  young 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN.  159 

people  especially,  shunned  the  vicinity  of  her  hut  at  night;  and  awful  stories 
about  her  multiplied  as  the  poor  old  woman  grew,  in  a  measure,  helpless 
with  years. 

Peter  Skillet  was  a  young  fisherman  whose  life  had  been  largely  passed 
on  the  sea.  He  had  heard  the  story  of  the  "  Flying  Dutchman,  "  and  believed 
it,  and  was  afraid  lest  that  airy  craft  with  "  shivered  "  sails  should  appear  off  the 
Banks.  He  had  also  heard  all  of  the  many  tales  about  the  "Flying  Dutch- 
woman," and  believed  them  all.  In  fact,  he  himself  said  that  he  had  seen, 
when  lying  off  the  coast  in  his  fishing-smack,  a  dark  object  rise  from  the  door 
of  Mary  Hollander's  hut,  and  soar  toward  the  moon.  He  thought  it  not  un- 
unlikely  that  old  Mary  "  had  a  hut  in  the  moon  also." 

The  years  went  on.  The  old  woman  covered  her  roof  with  sea-weed  anew 
every  fall;  and  the  springs  brought  back  the  "  quarks  "  to  the  woods,  and  the 
summers  the  morning-glories  to  the  old  dame's  windows  and  doors.  And  Peter 
Skillet  became  of  age ;  and  one  summer,  while  in  port,  he  placed  his  affections 
on  a  thrifty  farmer's  daughter,  named  Molly  Smart. 

It  seemed  a  fitting  choice ;  but  the  courtship  from  the  first  involved  a  cour- 
age and  daring  as  great  as  ancient  knighthood.  Molly  lived  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  Flying  Dutchwoman's  hut,  and  the  road  from  the  village  passed  her 
very  door. 

In  the  daytime  the  road  seemed  safe  to  travel;  but  at  night  one  was  likely 
to  meet  Mary  Hollander's  cat.  In  fact,  one  young  fisherman  had  actually  seen 
that  black  cat  running  along  the  fence  in  the  moonlight ;  and  although  he  would 
have  perilled  his  life  in  a  storm  or  tempest  at  sea,  his  nerves  could  not  stand 
such  a  shock  as  that,  and  he  had  turned  around  with  wild  eyes,  and  fled  to  the 
safe  walls  of  home  to  await  the  morning  light  for  the  renewal  of  his  journey. 

Another  young  fisherman  had  seen  the  cat  on  the  beach  while  he  was  dig- 
ging clams.  He  had  dropped  his  clam-hoe  at  once,  and  he  left  to  that  dark 
and  mysterious  animal  the  results  of  his  labor  during  the  tide. 

It  may  seem  quite  improbable  that  men  who  yearly  dared  the  perils  of  the 
Banks,  and  whose  occupation  demanded  the  highest  courage,  should  run  from 
a  cat ;  but  it  was  so.  The  village  was  full  of  people  who  often  faced  death  at 
sea,  and  shrank  not  from  the  most  appalling  actual  dangers,  and  yet  who  could 
not  have  been  hired  to  pass  poor  Mary  Hollander's  hut  at  night.  No  terror 
can  equal  superstitious  fear. 

Soon  after  Peter  Skillet's  affections  became  centred  on  Molly  Smart,  he 
grew  melancholy. 

"What's  the  matter,  Peter?  "  asked  his  mother  one  day.  "There  did  n't 
used  to  be  a  more  chipper  lad  in  all  the  town,  and  now  there  isn't  one  that  is 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

more  dumpish.    What  ails  ye?    Come  now,  Peter,  tell  me  all;  sure  you  have  n't 
a  better  friend  in  all  the  world  than  your  old  mother." 

"You  know,  mother —  Mary,"    said  Peter,  cautiously. 

"  Handsome  Mary  Smart?  Molly?" 

"  Yes,  mother." 

"  Well,  you  never  heard  me  say  anything  ag'in  Molly,  did  ye?" 

"  No,  but  goin'  to  see  her  —  you  know,  the  witch  and  the  air,  and  the  — 
you  can't  tell  what's  going  to  happen." 

"  There  's  no  danger  in  the  daytime,  Peter.  Go  on  Sunday  to  see  Molly ; 
no,  that  would  n't  be  quite  the  thing,  to  do  your  courtin'  on  Sunday.  Go  across 
lots,  Peter,  nights." 

"But  —  " 

"But  what,  Peter?" 

"  The  cat." 

"  Pooh  on  the  cat !  You  would  n't  see  the  cat  if  you  went  across  lots. 
T would  be  an  awful  bad  sign,  I'll  allow.  But  this  world  is  full  of  terrible 
things,  and  you  must  take  your  chances.  Yes,  Peter,  you  '11  have  to  go  across 
lots.  I  don't  see  any  other  way." 

"  But  Solomon  Graves  saw  that  cat  one  night  way  off  in  the  huckleberry 
pasture.  You  know  old  Solomon  Graves.  A  week  after  that  he  had  a  fit, 
and  did  n't  live  twenty-four  hours.  And  then  when  she  flies,  she  goes  that 
way." 

"  I  should  hate  to  see  her,  Peter.     I  declare  I  should." 

"  I  should,  too,"  said  Peter,  most  truthfully.  "  I  should  scrooch  right  down 
like  a  chicken  before  a  hawk.  I  do  believe  that  my  heart  would  give  one 
bump,  and  I  would  drop  right  down  dead.  I  do  think  that  there  should  be 
some  law  ag'in  people  like  old  Mary  Hollander.  Cotton  Mather  was  right;  and 
people  in  this  day  are  too  wise  for  their  own  good.  Such  people  ought  to  be 
hung." 

"  Be  careful,  Peter ;   be  careful." 

Peter  turned  pale.  "Now  I  have  said  it,  haven't  I,  mother?  You  don't 
suppose  that  she  knows,  do  you,  and  that  she  will  cast  an  evil  eye  on  me  for  it? 
Now  I  shall  be  more  frightened  than  ever." 

"  But  educated  people  now  say,  Peter,  that  there  are  no  such  things  as 
ghosts,  and  witches,  and  evil  eyes,  and  the  like ;  that  such  things  are  nothing 
but  imagination." 

'  Then  what  did  you  tell  me  such  stories  for  when  I  was  a  boy?  Ain't  I 
called  the  boldest  boy  in  the  fishing-fleet?  I  never  trembled  before  anything 
in  my  life  but  haunts,  just  those  haunts.  I  never  trembled  upon  the  mast ;  but 


HERE  THE   LOCAL   SPORTSMEN   SOUGHT   THEM. 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN.  l6j 

after  your  stories  of  haunted  graveyards,  and  witches,  and  evil  spells,  and  peo- 
ple sellin'  their  souls  to  the  Old  Boy,  and  what  not,  I  Ve  made  the  bed  just 
tremble  many  a  night.  There  ought  to  be  a  law  ag'in  such  things ;  and  if  there 
are  no  such  things,  there  ought  to  be  a  law  ag'in  teachin'  boys  and  girls  that 
there  are  such  things." 

"  You  talk  like  a  philosopher,  Peter,  but  there  is  no  human  law  that  can 
have  any  effect  on  the  doin's  of  the  spirit  world.  But,  Peter,  I  have  another 
plan.  Go  on  horseback!  You  could  then  scoot  by  like  magic, — just  like  a 
flying  horseman." 

A  sudden  light  came  into  Peter's  face. 

"  You  are  a  foresighted  woman,  mother.  I  '11  have  to  ride  fast,  but  I  will 
do  it." 

Peter  had  a  pony,  only  broken  to  the  saddle,  that  went  like  the  wind. 
Twice  a  week,  early  in  the  evening,  he  mounted  this  pony  and  rode  slowly  with 
a  drawn  rein  over  to  Molly  Smart's.  His  return  was  as  precipitate  as  his  going 
had  been  deliberate.  He  would  throw  both  arms  around  the  pony's  neck,  give 
the  little  animal  a  cut,  and  would  be  borne  back  to  the  village  as  on  the  en- 
chanted steed  of  Arabian  fiction,  or  as  though  he  were  riding  the  wind.  He 
never  saw  the  cat  in  these  late  hours ;  and  if  that  dread  animal  had  seen  him, 
she  would  surely  have  suddenly  disappeared. 

Nor  did  he  ever  see  the  old  woman  in  the  air.  He  did  sometimes  see  a 
light  in  the  window  of  the  hut  in  the  distance,  but  he  never  would  look  that 
way  more  than  once  on  the  flying  journey.  Courting  with  the  pony  now 
seemed  to  be  a  perfect  success.  He  gained  great  local  credit  by  it,  too. 

"  There  is  a  young  man,"  said  the  fishermen,  proudly,  "  who  never  feared 
the  face  of  day,  nor  a  storm,  nor  any  other  thing.  The  powers  of  darkness 
could  never  turn  him  from  his  purpose.  There  is  a  young  man  for  the  port  to 
honor!  " 

The  port  became  so  proud  of  Peter,  that,  when  the  militia  met  in  the  autumn 
after  these  bold  rides,  he  was  elected  Captain  of  the  Coast  Guards.  He  was 
soon  afterward  honored  again  by  being  elected  pound-keeper  by  the  town. 
The  pound  was  situated  just  this  side  of  Dame  Hollander's  hut,  —  a  very  un- 
desirable locality  to  most  aspirants  for  the  office. 

"  You  owe  it  all  to  your  mother,  Peter,"  said  Mrs.  Skillet.  "  T  is  I  and  the 
pony,  Peter,  that  deserves  all  the  credit.  But  go  on ;  maybe  it  will  come  out 
all  right.  It  will  if  you  don't  get  scared  ;  but  there  's  never  no  tellin'  what  may 
happen." 

Molly  Smart  was  greatly  esteemed  in  the  community,  but  there  existed  one 
prejudice  against  her.  Her  mother  was  an  "  Episcopal,"  and  Molly  had  also 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

followed  the  Prayer-book.  The  village  was  strictly  Puritan,  and  held  the  Church 
of  England  in  much  disfavor  at  the  time,  although  to-day  the  Episcopal  Chapel 
is  its  principal  place  of  worship. 

Peter  and  Molly  had  a  charming  summer's  courtship.  Peter  was  looked 
upon  as  the  Flying  Horseman,  and  as  more  than  a  match  for  the  Flying  Dutch- 
woman ;  and  a  kind  of  romance  gathered  around  him,  despite  his  homely  name. 

Molly  desired  to  be  married  on  Christmas  eve.  It  required  some  further 
courage  on  the  part  of  Peter  to  consent  to  this. 

"  What  for  do  you  want  to  be  married  at  that  time?  It  seems  to  me  kinder 
like  Popery ;  and  they  do  say  that  she  wanders  about  the  earth  and  air  on  that 
night  without  any  head  on,  and  casts  an  evil  eye." 

This  was  the  local  tradition.  Just  how  an  old  lady  without  a  "  head  on" 
could  cast  an  evil  eye,  was  not  easy  to  be  explained ;  but  that  old  Mary  Hol- 
lander wandered  about  the  beach  about  Christmas  time  gathering  pieces  of 
wreckage  for  fuel,  was  true;  and  also  that  she  did  this  with  a  shawl  over  her 
head.  It  was  also  usually  quite  sickly  in  the  town  about  Christmas  time,  and 
all  epidemic  sickness  for  years  was  attributed  to  the  Flying  Dutchwoman  and 
her  evil  eye. 

"  If  we  should  meet  her,  Molly,  on  our  weddin'  night,  too,  and  she  should 
scare  the  horse,  it  would  be  awful,  after  all  I  've  'dured  for  ye,  too." 

But  Molly  had  a  strong  desire  for  a  Christmas  wedding.  It  would  be  like 
the  fine  old  English  days  of  which  her  mother  had  told  her.  An  Episcopal 
Justice  of  the  Peace  lived  in  the  adjoining  town,  and  it  was  arranged  that  the 
couple  should  go  to  him  early  on  Christmas  eve  and  be  married,  and  then 
return  and  receive  the  congratulations  of  a  wedding  party  who  should  assemble 
at  the  bride's  home.  The  mother  of  the  bride  had  some  means  of  her  own, 
and  was  ambitious  that  this  wedding  party  should  be  very  generous,  gay,  and 
hospitable. 

Peter  thought  that  he  had  really  grown  bold  during  his  courtship.  He  had 
passed  the  hut  of  the  Flying  Dutchwoman  fifty  times,  and  often  late  at  night, 
and  received  no  harm.  He  had  also  grown  proud  of  his  reputation  for  temerity. 
The  town  had  praised  arid  honored  him ;  and  now  came  into  his  heart  a  plan 
for  celebrating  his  own  marriage  by  an  act  of  heroism  which,  like  Captain  Miles 
Standish's  exploit  at  Merry  Mount,  should  make  his  name  truly  historic. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  bein'  under  the  bondage  of  fear  any  longer,  as  the 
parson  says?  I  "m  just  goin*  to  relieve  the  town  of  its  terror,  and  then  I  '11  be 
here,  I  do  declare  I  will.  After  the  weddin'  I  '11  just  take  some  of  the  militia 
and  go  and  tear  down  the  hut  of  the  Flying  Dutchwoman,  and  make  her  go  to 
the  poorhouse." 


"HE  HAD  TURNED  AROUND  WITH  WILD  EYES,  AND  PLED.' 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN.  167 

He  unfolded  his  new  and  daring  plan  to  the  boldest  members  of  the  military 
company,  but  they  did  not  seem  eager  to  volunteer. 

"  This  fightin'  men  is  one  thing,  but  goin'  to  war  with  the  powers  of  the  air 
is  another,"  said  one.  But  nevertheless  Peter  found  several  young  men  who 
promised  to  follow  him,  unless  he  should  "  be  carried  off  bodily,"  in  which  case 
they  were  quite  willing  to  be  left  behind. 

New  suspicions  against  the  poor  old  woman  seemed  to  make  the  bold  ex- 
periment very  desirable  and  commendable.  Some  fishers  during  their  last  trip 
to  the  Banks  had  seen  a  dark  object  one  night  in  the  air,  and  the  expedition 
had  proved  unlucky  and  a  part  of  the  craft  had  been  lost.  It  was  whispered 
darkly  that  the  Flying  Dutchwoman  had  caused  the  disaster. 

Again,  poultry  had  disappeared  at  night  from  the  farmyards.  From  the 
manner  of  the  disappearance  it  was  conjectured  that  the  prey  had  been  taken 
into  the  air.  A  man  who  had  lost  several  fine  fowls  had  heard  them  squalling 
in  the  sky.  The  superstitious  were  sure  that  they  had  been  carried  away  by 
the  Flying  Dutchwoman.  In  fact,  all  the  disasters  and  whatever  was  myste- 
rious in  the  village  came  to  be  attributed  to  the  Flying  Dutchwoman. 

But  old  Mary  Hollander  had  her  friends,  —  people  who  knew  her  private 
worth  and  innocence,  and  the  cruelty  of  the  popular  superstition. 

Mary  Hollander's  people  had  been  Catholics,  and  she  had  brought  with  her 
many  innocent  customs  from  over  the  sea  that  were  disliked  in  the  little  port. 
She  had  a  great  reverence  for  Christmas,  and  she  was  supposed  to  be  particu- 
larly busy  in  travelling  along  the  coast  and  in  the  air  about  the  time  of  the 
English  and  Latin  holidays. 

There  was  a  ballad  that  she  used  to  sing  to  the  children  about  Christmas 
time,  before  she  was  so  universally  shunned,  that  was  at  one  time  regarded  as 
very  curious  and  harmless,  but  finally  as  the  work  of  the  dark  agencies  with 
which  she  was  supposed  to  deal.  It  certainly  was  a  very  strange  composition, 
and  the  music  was  as  mournful  as  the  words.  It  came  to  be  repeated  by  the 
old  women  and  children  with  a  kind  of  superstitious  terror. 

"  This  ae  night,  this  ae  night, 

Every  night  and  a', 
Fire  and  sleet  and  candle-light, . 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 

"When  thou  from  the  world  shall  pass, 

Every  night  and  a', 
To  Winney  Muir  thou  "11  come  at  last, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 


1 68  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  If  thou  hast  given  housen  and  shoon, 

Every  night  and  a', 
Sit  thee  down  and  put  them  on, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 

"  If  housen  and  shoon  thou  hast  given  nane, 

Every  night  and  a', 

The  winnies  will  prick  thee  to  the  bare  bane, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 

"  From  Winney  Muir  when  thou  art  past. 

Every  night  and  a', 

To  Brigg  o'  Doom  thou  '11  come  at  last, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 

"  From  Brigg  o'  Doom  when  thou  art  past, 

Every  night  and  a', 
To  Purgatory  thou  '11  come  at  last, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul  ! 

"  If  thou  hast  given  victuals  and  drink, 

Every  night  and  a', 
The  fire  will  not  make  thee  shrink, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul ! 

"  If  victuals  and  drink  thou  hast  given  nane, 

Every  night  and  a', 

The  fire  will  burn  thee  to  the  bare  bane, 
And  may  Christ  save  thy  soul !  " 

This  innocent  ballad — where  it  could  have  come  from  we  cannot  im- 
agine—  became  especially  terrifying  after  evil  reports  began  to  be  common 
about  the  old  woman.  What  was  "  Winney  Muir  "  ?  Where  was  the  "  Brigg  o' 
Doom  "  ?  There  must  have  been  some  dark  meaning  to  "  fire  and  sleet  and 
candle-light," — the  words  sounded  ghostly. 

Among  the  old  woman's  friends  was  the  child  of  a  very  estimable  family, 
a  little  girl  who  often  carried  her  presents.  On  the  day  before  Christmas 
this  child  went  to  the  hut  with  presents,  and  told  her  of  the  common  report 
that  she  was  to  be  molested. 

"What,  child,  have  I  ever  done  that  they  should  harm  me?  I  have  had 
a  hard  life,  child ;  and  before  God,  child,  I  have  nothing  on  my  conscience. 
Why  should  they  wish  to  harm  me,  and  on  such  a  night,  —  the  one  that  I 
love  most  of  all  the  year?  It  would  make  religion  a  mockery.  It  should  be 
a  time  of  peace." 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN.  I  71 

"  They  say  that  you  can  fly,  Mother  Hollander." 

"Fly,  child?  I  could  no  more  fly  than  this  hut  that  these  hands  have 
thatched  for  forty  years.  They  are  false,  child, —  all  the  stories  that  they  tell 
of  my  poor,  friendless  life." 

The  old  woman  resolved  to  intercept  Peter  and  his  bride  in  the  highway 
when  they  should  go  to  be  married,  and  to  make  an  appeal  for  her  old  hut, 
which,  with  all  its  poverty,  had  become  to  her  a  part  of  her  life. 

It  was  a  cold  December  day,  with  a  high  wind  and  a  light  snow.  The 
coast  was  rimmed  with  ice,  and  the  sea  was  white  with  breakers.  The  old 
woman  waited  for  the  bridal  couple,  standing  by  the  roadside  in  the  high  wind 
and  snow.  She  was  so  full  of  anxiety  that  she  little  heeded  the  weather. 

Over  her  shoulders  was  a  light  shawl,  and  on  her  head  was  a  large  hood, 
the  strings  of  which  were  pinned  to  her  shawl  for  greater  security  against  the 
gusts  of  wind.  With  her  was  her  faithful  cat,  the  terror  of  all  superstitious 
villagers. 

As  the  time  approached  for  Peter  to  pass,  her  anxiety  grew.  She  stood 
in  the  middle  of  the  road,  holding  on  to  her  thin  shawl  and  great  hood,  which 
every  gust  of  wind  threatened  to  blow  away. 

The  chaise  at  last  swept  along  the  curve  of  the  coast,  in  view  of  the  hut, 
but  Peter  did  not  notice  the  form  in  the  dusk  and  storm. 

"  Molly,"  said  he,  "  we  are  going  to  break  up  the  witch's  den  after  the 
party  to-night.  It  is  a  shame  that  some  man  has  not  had  the  courage  to  do 
it  before.  I  am  going  to  do  it  in  honor  of  our  weddin'.  This  is  the  last 
night  that  this  community  shall  be  terrified  and  preyed  upon  by  the  Flying 
Dutchwoman." 

"  And  you  are  to  be  the  Saint  George,"  said  Molly,  proudly. 

But  Peter  did  not  understand  classical  allusions. 

"The  what?" 

"The  champion.     But  are  you  not  afraid  of  the  consequences?" 

"What  consequences?  The  man  that  is  about  to  marry  you,  Molly,  never 
yet  feared  the  face  of  a  mortality." 

"  But  do  you  not  fear  spirits?  " 

"No.  I  once  did,  but  I  have  thought  it  all  out;  a  truly  brave  man  fears 
nothing.  I  fear  nothing,  Molly,  nothing.  Why  should  I?" 

"  Then  why  do  you  trouble  the  old  woman  at  all  ?  " 

Just  here  a  dark  object  met  his  astonished  eyes.  What !  He  checked  the 
horse  and  rode  cautiously. 

"What  is  that  yonder?  "  he  said  to  the  bride. 

"  In  front  of  Mary  Hollander's?  " 


If 2  ZIGZAG   JOURNEYS  IN   THE   ANTIPODES. 

"  Yes.     Somethin'  awful." 

"  It  looks  like  the  witch  herself.  Oh,  Peter,  I  'm  glad  you  are  brave ! 
You  will  need  your  courage  now !  Do  you  see  how  she  moves,  as  though 
she  had  wings,  —  just  as  though  she  was  goin'  to  fly?  Do  you  really  think- 
that  she  can  ?" 

The  horse  saw  the  strange-looking  object,  and  snorted,  and  then  suddenly 
stopped.  The  fear  of  a  man  is  strangely  communicated  to  an  animal,  and  the 
horse  seemed  to  become  possessed  of  his  master's  terror. 

The  old  woman  saw  the  horse  stop,  and  with  the  wind  blowing  wildly 
through  her  hood  and  shawl,  both  of  which  flapped  like  wings,  she  slowly 
approached  the  stationary  vehicle. 

"  Mercy!  she's  comin',  sure  as  death  !  "  said  Peter. 

"What  is  that  following  her?  asked  the  bride,  herself  filled  with  alarm. 

"  Is  it  a  dog?"  asked  Peter,  evasively. 

"  No,  a  cat.  That  cat,  too  !  She  looks  just  as  if  she  was  going  to  fly. 
Oh,  dear!  this  is  awful,  —  on  such  a  night,  too.  What  shall  we  do?" 

The  old  woman  hobbled  on,  her  hood  and  shawl  still  flying  about  like 
wings.  Suddenly  she  stopped  and  lifted  her  arms.  The  horse  rose  on  his 
hind  legs  and  began  to  back. 

"  You  must  get  out,  Peter,  and  hold  him  by  the  bits." 

"Get  out!"  —  the  words  froze  him  to  his  very  heart.  Get  out  under  such 
appalling  circumstances  as  these !  He  would  as  soon  have  leaped  straight  over 
a  precipice. 

"  You  get  out,  Molly.  It  don't  seem  as  though  there  was  any  need  that 
both  of  us  should  be  killed.  She  has  n't  anything  against  you.  I  expect  't  is 
I  she's  after." 

"Is  that  the  kind  of  man  you  are,  Peter  Skillet?  A  great  husband  you 
would  make !  It  is  your  business  to  get  out  and  quiet  the  horse  and  protect 
me,  whatever  may  come." 

In  the  midst  of  this  exciting  dialogue  there  came  a  furious  gust  of  wind 
across  the  sea.  The  old  woman  had  lifted  her  hands  to  beckon  the  bridal 
couple  to  wait  for  an  interview  and  to  hear  what  she  had  to  say.  Thus  un- 
protected, her  hood  and  shawl,  which  were  pinned  together,  were  left  to  the 
mercy  of  the  wind.  They  suddenly  rose  into  the  air. 

"There,  there!  Oh,  mercy!  she's  goin'  to  fly.  What  did  I  tell  you? 
There,  there !  she  's  goin'.  Oh  that  I  should  ever  have  lived  to  see  this  day ! 
There  she  goes,  sure  enough, — her  soul  right  out  of  her  body!  Let  me  get 
out  of  this. —  I  am  going  mad!" 

The  high  wind  had  taken  the  poor  old  woman's  hood  and  shawl  into  the 


A    ROADSIDE    IN   JAVA. 


THE  FLYING  DUTCHWOMAN. 


175 


air,  which  Peter's  imagination  had  transformed  into  her  natural  body  or  her 
spiritual  body,  —  he  did  not  stop  to  question  which.  He  saw  something  going 
through  the  air,  and  he  had  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  it  was  she.  The  wind 
spread  out  the  black  shawl  and  hood,  and  they  seemed  animated. 

There  was  a  loose  cover  on  the  back  of  the  chaise.  Peter  put  one  foot 
through  this,  tearing  it  asunder  like  a  wild  man.  In  a  moment,  out  of  the  back 
of  the  chaise  he  tumbled,  exclaiming  in  great  agitation,  "  Good-by,  Molly ;  may 
the  heavings  protect  you  !  She  is  n't  after  you,  any  way." 

Sandhills  rose  from  the  beach,  now  covered  with  a  light  snow  ice.  Up 
these  went  Peter  as  though  he  was  treading  on  air.  He  slipped  once  or  twice, 
but  recovered  himself  with  an  electrical  motion.  In  a  few  minutes  there  was 
not  so  much  as  a  speck  of  Peter  on  the  earth,  in  the  air,  or  in  the  sky. 

The  old  woman  came  up  to  the  chaise,  seized  the  reins,  and  quieted  the 
horse.  Her  head  was  bare,  and  her  white  hair  blew  about  her  head  in  the  wind. 

"  Where  has  he  gone?  "  she  asked,  —  "  he  who  was  going  to  tear  down  my 
old  hut  to-night,  on  Christmas  eve,  and  for  why?  Molly  Smart,  are  you  going 
to  marry  such  a  man  as  that?  What  have  I  ever  done  that  a  young  man  should 
wish  to  molest  me,  a  poor  lone  woman?" 

"  They  say  that  you  are  a  witch,  and  can  fly ;  and  you  terrify  people,  and 
harm  the  town." 

"  Molly  Smart,  it  is  cowards  that  fly.  A  true  man  has  nothing  to  fear  in 
this  world  or  from  any  other.  All  the  stories  about  my  evil  ways  spring  from 
the  imaginations  of  evil  hearts.  It  is  only  the  wicked  and  cowardly  who  think 
that  they  see  ghosts.  No  good  man  ever  yet  beheld  an  evil  spirit  How  the 
wind  blows !  and  where  are  my  bonnet  and  shawl  ?  " 

The  old  woman  stood  still  holding  the  horse. 

"  I  will  turn  him  around,  Molly,  and  you  had  better  drive  him  home. 
Good-night,  Molly.  I  hope  that  you  may  have  better  luck  than  to  marry  a 
man  who  would  turn  a  poor  old  innocent  woman  out  of  her  home  on  Christmas 
eve,  for  being  a  witch.  If  I  were  you,  I  would  be  ashamed  to  think  that  I  ever 
started  out  into  a  wild  storm  on  such  an  errand  as  that." 

She  turned  the  horse  carefully  round,  and  hobbled  back  to  her  hut. 

Christmas  day  brought  the  wildest  excitement  to  the  little  village.  Peter 
had  returned  home  and  related  his  terrible  adventures.  He  had  seen  the  old 
woman  "  mount  into  the  sky  right  before  his  own  eyes,"  and  had  expected  to 
have  "  been  taken  into  the  air  bodily  "  after  her.  But  he  had  escaped. 

Molly,  too,  had  returned  home,  and  had  told  her  own  truly  exasperating 
story.  She  never  saw  Peter  again,  but  one  day  married  an  Episcopal  minister 
who  did  not  believe  in  witches. 


176  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

Peter  was  prophetic.  The  village  was  never  disturbed  by  any  further  re- 
ports of  witchcraft  after  the  events  of  that  night  were  made  clear ;  and  the 
young  men  never  molested  the  old  woman.  She  became  pitied,  and  humanely 
treated  and  cared  for;  and  the  awful  stories  of  the  Flying  Dutchwoman  be- 
came the  humorous  household  tale  of  the  quiet  seafaring  village. 

The  dreadful  ballad,  too,  ceased  to  haunt  the  port.  Kind  hands  brought 
their  Christmas  gifts  to  the  hut,  when  the  snows  drifted  over  the  kelp  where 
had  blossomed  the  morning-glories.  She  used  to  relate  to  them  queer  tales  of 
the  Ships  of  the  Netherland  Trading  Company,  and  of  the  coffee,  mountains, 
and  ports  of  Java, — stories  that  she  had  heard  her  husband  tell  in  the  long- 
past  years. 

She  was  found,  one  winter  day,  dead  on  her  bed  in  the  cottage,  with  the 
faithful  old  cat  asleep  on  her  breast.  Her  lonely  grave  used  to  be  seen  in  one 
corner  of  a  windy  burying-ground  on  the  high  coast  near  the  fishing-town  on 
Cape  Ann. 

The  old  martin-boxes  are  gone,  and  the  swallows  that  recalled  the  bright 
voyages  to  Java  no  longer  come  on  bright  wings  to  the  place.  But  the  place 
still  recalls  to  many  minds  the  beautiful  island  of  the  far  Indian  sea,  with  its 
ships,  its  spices,  and  its  coffee. 


"  PEOPLE   SEEMED  TO   LIVE   ON   THE   WATER. 


CHAPTER   XI. 


BANGKOK. 

WILL  pass  over  our  voyage.  We  found  our- 
selves, after  some  two  months  from  Florida,  safely 
housed  in  Bangkok,  —  Ivory  in  his  own  home, 
and  I  with  him  in  the  mission  house. 

Ivory's  father  made  many  private  inquiries 
about  him  when  we  were  alone.  I  had  nothing 
but  good  to  say  of  him,  except  that  I  would 
sometimes  say,  "  I  only  wish  that  he  was  a  more 
manly  boy."  Yet  he  was  manly.  It  required  really  more  courage  to 
take  a  position  which  the  popular  mind  held  to  be  cowardly,  than  my 
opposite  view. 

Ivory  entered  into  telegraph  service  in  connection  with  a  new  line 
of  railway  in  Siam.  I  was  sent  to  Sumatra,  as  a  lineman. 

Bangkok,  which  Ivory  has  already  described  in  his  letters,  was  a 
surprise  to  me.  Its  life  was  unlike  any  other  I  had  seen.  People 
seemed  to  live  on  the  water  and  in  the  air,  —  in  floating  houses  and 
houses  on  poles. 

I  visited  the  temples  of  the  Emerald  and  Sleeping  Idols.  The  Em- 
erald Idol  is  made  of  gold  into  which  jewels  —  crystals,  diamonds,  sap- 
phires, and  rubies  —  were  poured  when  the  ore  was  in  a  melted  state. 
The  altar  is  a  pyramid  about  a  hundred  feet  high,  blazing  with  gems 
and  gold.  The  Sleeping  Idol  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and 
forty  high,  and  is  wholly  overlaid  with  gold.  I  had  never  dreamed  of 
such  splendors  of  superstition. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


MRS.   LEONOWENS   IN   THE   "INNER   CITY." 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  beautiful  river  Meinam  is  a  vast  plot  of  ground 
encompassed  by  two  walls.  These  walls  run  parallel  to  each  other,  and  arc 
flanked  on  all  sides  with  towers  and  fortresses.  They  are  a  little  over  a  mile  in 
length,  and  about  three  miles  in  circumference. 

Inside  of  these  walls  stands  the  inner  city,  where  reside  none  but  women 
and  children. 

But  this  peculiar  community  is  in  many  respects  as  self-supporting  and  as 
independent  as  any  other  in  the  world.  It  has  its  own  peculiar  laws,  its  women 
judges,  Amazon  guards,  prisons,  and  executioners,  who  are  women,  traders, 
merchants,  spinners,  weavers ;  and  almost  every  function  is  exercised  by  women, 
and  by  them  only. 

Into  this  city  no  man  is  permitted  to  enter  except  the  ninety- nine  priests  of 
Buddha,  who  are  admitted  every  morning,  under  guard,  that  the  inmates  may 
perform  the  sacred  duty  of  giving  alms. 

On  the  eastern  front  of  this  walled  enclosure  rise,  high  above  the  trees, 
the  many-towered  and  gilded  roofs  of  the  grand  royal  palace.  Next  to  this 
is  the  old  palace ;  and  to  both  of  these  palaces  is  a  private  covered  entrance  for 
the  women  who  attend  upon  the  person  of  the  King. 

A  few  steps  from  this  entrance  blooms  a  beautiful  flower-garden,  filled  with 
gorgeous  tropical  flowers.  In  the  centre  of  this  garden  is  a  small,  artificial 
lake.  In  this,  as  if  to  crown  the  beauty  of  the  spot,  the  magnificent  Victoria 
Regia,  the  queen  of  water-lilies,  rises  to  the  surface,  spreads  out  her  basin-like 
leaves,  and  opens  her  pure  heart,  surrounded  by  a  hundred  fragrant  petals,  to 
the  sunrise,  blushing  a  delicate  pink  at  every  petal-tip  as  she  turns  her  won- 
drous face  to  the  midday  sun,  and  at  evening  closing  as  if  for  sorrow  for  her 
departed  god. 

Morning  and  evening  the  great  ladies  and  princesses  assemble  to  bathe  in 
the  lake,  spending  many^an  idle  hour  in  its  waters,  rifling  the  water-lilies  with 
which  they  delight  in  adorning  themselves. 

Hard  by  is  a  great  pillared  hall,  in  which  the  petty  cases  of  theft,  gambling, 
and  other  misdeeds  committed  by  the  women,  are  tried.  Twelve  women  hold 
the  position  of  judges  in  this  inner  city. 

The  floor  of  this  judgment  hall  consists  of  trap-doors,  which  open  to  sub- 
terranean cells  that  are  used  as  prisons  for  the  women. 

If  a  woman  is  found  to  have  committed  the  slightest  misdemeanor,  the 


"WITHIN   THESE    WALLS    RESIDE    NONE   BUT   WOMEN. 


BANGKOK.  183 

matter  is  instantly  laid  before  the  chief  woman  judge,  Khoon  Thou  App,  who 
gives  the  order  of  arrest  to  the  Amazons,  after  which  she  is  regularly  sued 
for  the  offence,  and  is  sometimes  imprisoned  in  one  of  these  underground 
dungeons. 

No  pen,  no  words,  however  graphic,  can  convey  to  your  mind  any  idea  of 
these  terrible  prisons.  The  feet  sink  into  the  floor,  through  the  planks  of 
which  the  river  oozes  upward.  The  atmosphere  is  pestilential.  The  walls  are 
painted  with  humble  representations  of  all  kinds  of  suffering  under  tortures. 

I  remember  I  once  missed  a  very  interesting  young  woman,  named  Mai 
Prang,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  my  school-room,  and  her  dear  little 
children  missed  her  too.  Day  after  day  they  vainly  asked  their  old  aunt,  — 

"When  will  mother  come  back?" 

I  was  so  touched  and  saddened  by  the  sight  of  these  apparently  deserted 
children,  that  I  inquired  from  one  of  my  royal  pupils  what  had  become  of 
Mai  Prang. 

To  my  surprise  and  horror,  she  made  me  a  most  significant  sign.  Placing 
her  forefinger  on  her  lips,  she  then  drew  it  slowly  across  her  throat,  thereby 
intimating  that  the  unhappy  woman,  for  some  unknown  crime,  had  been  secretly 
made  away  with. 

Near  the  judgment  hall  is  the  beautiful  temple  of  the  "  Mothers  of  the 
Free,"  —  that  is,  free  from  the  superstitions  of  the  Brahmins,  —  with  antique 
style  of  architecture,  and  its  long,  dim  gallery,  in  which  I  used  to  teach  the 
royal  children. 

Next  to  this  building  is  the  theatre  and  the  gymnasium,  where  the  great 
ladies  and  princesses  of  the  court  assemble  every  afternoon  to  gossip,  play 
games,  and  to  watch  the  exercises  of  the  dancing-girls. 

Here  are  girls  of  all  ages,  from  five  to  twenty,  being  drilled  in  dancing,  to 
which  particular  attention  is  given,  and  also  in  a  variety  of  other  accomplish- 
ments. This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  sights  in  the  inner  city.  All  day 
long  the  girls  are  seen  exercising.  Some  are  poised  on  tip-toe,  others  bending 
their  arms  and  limbs  back  as  far  as  they  will  reach,  and  again  others  picking 
up  bits  of  straw  with  their  eyelids.  This  very  curious  and  subtle  feat  can  be 
learned  only  by  very  young  girls,  who  are  made  to  practise  it  in  order  to  render 
them  flexible  in  every  part  of  the  body. 

There  are  two  long  rows  of  benches,  one  a  little  higher  than  the  other. 
On  the  lower  are  placed  a  row  of  little  girls,  very  scantily  dressed,  and  on  the 
upper  bench  are  laid  fine  polished  bits  of  straw.  At  the  sound  of  the  drum  the 
little  girls  all  together  bend  back  the  head  and  neck  until  they  touch  the  bits  of 
straw,  and  which  with  wonderful  dexterity  they  secure  between  the  corners  of 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

the  eyelids.  It  often  takes  a  young  girl  three  or  four  years  of  constant  practice 
to  acquire  this  peculiar  flexibility  of  form  and  movement. 

Among  others,  the  cup  dance  is  the  most  graceful  and  poetic  of  their 
dances.  A  row  of  young  women,  with  a  tier  of  cups  on  their  heads,  take  their 
places  in  the  centre  of  the  gymnasium.  A  burst  of  joyous  music  follows.  On 
hearing  this  they  simultaneously,  with  military  precision,  kneel  down,  fold  their 
hands,  bow  till  their  foreheads  almost  touch  the  polished  marble  floor,  keeping 
the  cups  steadily  on  their  heads  by  some  marvellous  jerk  of  the  neck.  Then 
suddenly  springing  to  their  feet,  they  describe  a  succession  of  rapid  and  intri- 
cate circles,  keeping  time  to  the  music  with  their  arms,  head,  and  feet. 

Next  follows  a  miracle  of  art  such  as  may  be  found  only  among  people  of 
the  highest  physical  training.  The  music  swells  into  a  rapturous  tumult.  The 
dancers  raise  their  delicate  feet,  curve  their  arms  and  ringers  in  seemingly  im- 
possible flexures,  sway  to  and  fro  like  withes  of  willow,  agitate  all  the  muscles 
of  the  body  like  the  flutter  of  leaves  in  a  soft  evening  breeze,  but  still  keep  the 
tier  of  cups  on  their  heads.  These  to  the  looker-on  present  the  strange  ap- 
pearance of  gliding  about  the  dancers'  arms  and  limbs  as  they  float  about  the 
room. 

At  other  times,  a  cup  full  of  some  liquid  is  placed  on  the  floor  in  the  centre 
of  the  hall.  A  girl  will  spring  to  her  feet  and  dance  about  it  in  round  wild 
eddies,  and  suddenly  laying  herself  down,  keeping  her  arms  folded  tight  on  her 
breast,  will  take  up  the  cup  with  her  lips,  and  drain  the  liquid  without  spilling 
a  drop. 

The  temple  of  the  "  Mothers  of  the  Free  "  occupies  not  only  a  central  posi- 
tion, but  is  one  of  the  most  important  buildings  in  this  woman's  city. 

On  the  right  of  this  building  is  a  Japanese  temple,  perfect  in  style,  and  very 
exquisitely  decorated  within  and  without-  Behind  this  is  a  very  fine  marble 
temple,  newly  erected,  and  designed  for  a  great  molten  image  of  silver  of  the 
"  Adhi  Buddh,"  or  Supreme  Intelligence.  There  are  a  great  many  exquisite 
little  pagodas  round  it,  which  add  very  much  to  the  interest  and  beauty  of  this 
particular  spot. 

It  was  a  very  interesting  sight  to  watch  the  inmates  of  this  city  assembling 
at  morning  prayers  in  this  temple. 

About  nine  o'clock  every  morning  the  innumerable  little  bells  that  surround 
the  temples  and  pagodas  were  heard  tinkling  from  far  and  near.  The  narrow, 
crooked  streets  and  lanes  which  intersect  and  cross  each  other  in  the  most  be- 
wildering irregularity  are  suddenly  thronged  with  women  and  children  of  all 
ages,  from  the  tottering,  feeble  old  dame  of  eighty,  to  the  two-year-old  who  is 
just  beginning  to  feel  the  solid  earth  under  her  little  feet. 


BANGKOK.  187 

• 

The  princesses  and  ladies  of  high  rank,  dressed  in  many-colored  silks,  gay 
scarfs  fluttering  in  the  breeze,  and  laden  with  golden  ornaments,  each  one  fol- 
lowed by  a  host  of  female  slaves,  —  some  half  nude,  and  others  very  neatly 
dressed,  according  to  their  circumstances, — bearing  vases  of  flowers,  perfumed 
tapers  in  golden  candlesticks,  and  gold  and  silver  tea-trays,  with  teapots  and 
teacups  all  ready  for  use,  form  a  brilliant  part  of  the  diversified  procession. 

In  addition  to  these,  every  prince,  princess,  and  great  lady  has  an  especial 
slave,  whose  duty  it  is  to  carry  his  or  her  betel  box ;  for  even  while  at  prayers 
the  Siamese  may  be  seen  chewing  their  betel,  or  indulging  occasionally  in  a 
cup  of  tea. 

The  betel-tree  is  the  areca  palm  of  Linnaeus.  Its  form  is  very  slender;  its 
trunk  is  remarkably  upright  and  straight,  without  a  knot  or  limb,  until  within 
one  or  two  feet  of  its  summit,  when  it  branches  out  into  a  shower  of  from  ten 
to  fifteen  long,  graceful  leaves  drooping  downward  and  upward.  The  fruit 
grows  in  large  clusters,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  nuts 
depending  from  each  cluster,  each  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  large  plum. 
They  prefer  this  nut  in  a  fresh  state.  It  is  eaten  with  the  cere-leaf,  a  perennial 
belonging  to  the  pepper  family,  and  red  lime,  —  a  curious  preparation.  Before 
the  burnt  limestone  has  been  slackened,  an  infusion  of  tumeric  is  poured  upon 
it,  which  causes  it  to  fall  into  powder,  taking  a  fine  vermilion  color.  This 
plastic  red  lime  is  spread  on  the  cere-leaf,  and  chewed  much  in  the  way  of 
tobacco.  In  fact,  the  chewing  of  the  betel  compound  has  obtained  the  same 
power  over  the  Siamese  that  tobacco  has  over  the  European  race. 

But  to  return  to  my  subject. 

As  soon  as  the  crowd  arrive  at  the  temple,  the  princes  and  princesses  rank 
first  in  order.  They  take  their  seats  near  the  pulpit,  on  the  silken  cushions 
placed  for  them  oh  the  tessellated  floor  of  the  temple. 

After  these  come  the  great  ladies  and  female  officers  of  the  inner  court, 
then  the  wives  of  the  King,  and  last  of  all  the  slaves.  Before  each  and  every 
worshipper  stand  golden  vases  filled  with  fresh,  fragrant  flowers,  odoriferous 
tapers,  and  a  small  gift  for  the  priests. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  tinkling  of  the  pagoda  bells  gently  ceases.  Two 
priests,  attended  by  armed  Amazons  and  fierce-looking  eunuchs  equipped  with 
swords  and  staves,  enter  the  temple  at  the  eastern  gate,  veiling  their  faces  with 
their  jewelled  fans,  lest  their  eyes  should  wander  towards  any  of  the  pretty 
women,  and  tempt  their  thoughts  to  stray  from  their  sacred  offices  of  prayer 
and  praise. 

The  head  priest  mounts  a  heavily  gilt  pulpit,  and  the  other  takes  his  place 
on  a  raised  platform  behind  it. 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

• 

The  Siamese  pulpit,  by  the  way,  is  very  unlike  those  used  in  our  places  of 
worship.  It  is  more  like  a  throne  of  state.  It  has  a  high,  circular  back,  richly 
carved  and  gilt,  and  towering  at  least  four  feet  above  the  head  of  the  priest, 
and  enclosing  him  on  the  right  and  left.  On  the  steps  are  engraved  passages 
from  the  Buddhist  Scriptures;  and  the  whole  is  supported  on  the  tails  of  four 
open-mouthed  dragons,  which  form  the  pedestals,  producing  a  weird  and 
grotesque  effect. 

The  sacred  books  of  the  Buddhists  are  composed  of  long  strips  of  ancient 
palm-leaves.  The  characters  are  in  Pali,  —  which  is  the  language  of  the 
Buddhists'  books  of  Ceylon,  corrupted  by  oral  and  perhaps  provincial  use  from 
the  more  perfect  and  polished  Sanskrit,  —  pricked  in  by  means  of  a  stylus,  and 
then  traced  over  with  dyes  of  various  hues,  red,  blue,  and  yellow.  The  edges 
are  often  beautifully  illuminated  with  curious  designs. 

The  moment  the  priest  has  unrolled  the  pale  yellow  leaves  of  his  palm 
manuscript,  the  assembled  company  of  high  and  lowly  born  women  and  chil- 
dren raise  themselves  on  their  knees,  light  their  tapers,  place  them  on  either 
side  of  their  flowers,  fold  their  hands,  and  assume  with  closed  eyes  the  most 
reverent  attitude  of  worship.  Many  of  them  kneel  throughout  the  service. 

There  is,  first,  a  liturgy  in  which  the  congregation  joins,  and  then  a  sermon 
from  some  Buddhist  text.  After  the  service  the  princesses  and  the  great  ladies 
crawl  on  all  fours  towards  the  pulpit,  and  present  their  little  gifts  to  the  priests. 
These  are  taken  in  charge  by  the  eunuch  and  handed  to  the  priests'  attendants, 
who  are  in  waiting  without  the  gates  of  the  inner  city. 

Another  curious  custom  is  that  of  sprinkling  this  woman's  city  with  holy 
water,  in  order  to  drive  away  the  evil  spirits  who  are  supposed  to  infest  the 
atmosphere.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  company  of  priests,  closely 
guarded,  enter  the  city  at  one  gate.  They  are  furnished  with  pots  of  conse- 
crated water  and  branches  of  acacia.  They  dip  these  into  the  water,  and  scatter 
purifying  showers  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  and  pass  out  by  another  gate. 
This  custom  was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  me,  as  no  sooner  did  the  priests 
appear  than  my  pupils  made  a  frantic  rush,  often  in  the  midst  of  their  recita- 
tions, to  prostrate  themselves  on  the  pavement  within  reach  of  these  purifying 
showers. 

The  ladies  of  the  harem  have  each  an  annual  salary  and  a  private  residence 
assigned  to  them  within  these  walls,  where  they  live  exactly  in  the  condition  of 
State  prisoners.  They  are  each  one  and  all  obliged  to  appear  handsomely 
dressed,  once  a  day  at  least,  at  the  King's  palace,  to  wait  upon  his  pleasure, 
where  he  converses  with  them  or  not  according  to  his  moods.  On  these  occa- 
sions several  hundred  women  and  children  are  found  seated  in  the  alcoves  and 


BANGKOK. 


191 


shadowy  recesses  of  the  "  Kinkaub  "  curtains.  Women  officers  are  in  waiting. 
If  there  should  happen  to  be  too  much  giggling  and  whispering  from  behind 
these  curtains,  a  female  officer  will  start  up  and  lay  the  whip  lightly  on  the 
shoulders  of  some  of  the  most  noisy,  I  have  known  the  whip  to  be  adminis- 
tered three  times  during  one  of  these  audiences.  The  moment  the  King  turns 
his  back,  they  scatter  like  a  flock  of  wild  geese,  and  rush  away  to  their  respective 
homes,  having  got  through  an  unpleasant  duty. 

The  King  seldom  visits  the  ladies  of  the  harem.  On  the  occasion  of  the 
birth  of  a  child,  or  when  the  infant  is  about  to  be  named,  he  does  so,  how- 
ever, with  great  pomp  and  ceremony.  The  streets,  which  in  some  parts  are 
wretchedly  dirty,  are  swept  clean.  The  women  and  slaves  all  turn  out  and 
prostrate  themselves  along  the  sidewalks.  The  poor  mother  greets  him  kneel- 
ing on  the  threshold  of  her  home  with  the  royal  babe  in  her  arms.  He  takes 
the  child,  embraces  it,  and  returns  it  to  her  accompanied  with  costly  gifts 
and  presents,  if  she  happens  to  be  a  favorite ;  if  not,  some  little  trinket 
or  toy. 

A  female  barber  and  some  priests,  strictly  guarded,  are  finally  ushered  into 
an  open  hall  which  adjoins  each  house.  The  babe  is  handed  to  the  lady  barber, 
who  shaves  the  hair,  leaving  only  a  small  tuft  on  the  top  of  the  child's  head. 
She  then  transfers  the  infant  to  the  priest,  who  pours  on  its  bald  head  a  pot  of 
consecrated  water,  while  the  King  repeats  aloud  the  name  the  child  is  to  bear 
through  life. 

All  the  markets  and  shops,  and  even  some  of  the  mechanical  trades,  are  in 
the  hands  of  the  slave-women,  who  spend  much  of  their  time  within  the  walls 
of  this  city,  but  who  have  homes  and  husbands  outside  of  the  walls. 

The  devotion  of  some  of  the  Buddhist  women  as  wives  and  mothers  is  very 
remarkable.  Sir  John  Bowring,  and  many  other  distinguished  travellers,  have 
observed  that  they  are  infinitely  more  moral  and  industrious  than  the  rest  of 
their  Asiatic  sisters.  Mrs.  Smith,  a  missionary  lady,  once  accompanied  me  to 
the  stall  of  a  pretty  little  flower-woman ;  and  when  she  spoke  to  her  of  heaven 
and  hell,  the  poor  woman  said  she  could  not  make  up  her  mind  to  which  of  the 
worlds  she  would  go,  but  would  go  out  of  the  city  and  talk  to  her  husband. 
"  If  he  will  go  to  your  heaven,"  said  she,  "  I  will  go  with  him ;  but  if  he  will  go 
to  that  other  world,  I  shall  wish  to  go  and  live  with  him  there,  to  wash  and  take 
care  of  him." 

Before  carrying  my  narrative  to  Sumatra,  I  must  relate  the  story 
of  a  figure  whose  hideousness  excited  my  curiosity  whenever  I  met  it ; 


!02  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

and  I  found  it  often  in  a  week's  rambles  among  the  temples  and  sacred 
places  of  Bangkok. 

THE   STORY   OF  THE   HOALAMAN. 

The  Hoalaman  was  an  odd  divinity,  half  man  and  half  beast,  of  great  power 
and  wisdom. 

When  a  certain  phya,  or  lord,  was  about  to  found  a  new  city,  afterward 
Ayathia,  in  the  dim  times  when  strange  divinities  mingled  with  men,  he  was 
directed  to  shoot  an  arrow  into  the  air,  and  to  break  the  ground  where  it 
should  fall. 

He  did  so.  A  hoalaman  caught  the  arrow,  carried  to  the  fortunate  place, 
and  stuck  it  into  the  ground. 

Then  the  creature's  tail  began  to  grow,  and  it  formed  a  coil  of  immense 
length. 

The  phya  came  to  the  hoalaman. 

"The  city  may  be  as  large  as  the  circumference  that  can  be  marked  by  my 
tail,"  said  the  creature. 

The  tail  grew  and  grew.     What  became  of  it,  the  legend  does  not  tell. 

But  the  hoalaman  promised  that  if  the  city  was  ever  in  peril  and  needed 
assistance,  he  would  come  again. 

"  This  shall  be  the  sign,"  said  the  god  :   "  you  shall  beat  a  drum." 

The  people  remembered  the  promise  and  felt  secure.  But  in  the  process 
of  time  they  began  to  doubt  the  hoalaman. 

"  Let  us  beat  the  drum,"  said  the  sceptics,  "  and  see  if  he  will  appear." 

So  it  was  agreed  that  there  should  be  a  festival  to  try  the  hoalaman,  and 
that  the  drum  should  be  beaten. 

It  was  a  bright  day,  and  a  splendid  assembly.  The  drum  was  beaten,  and 
soon  a  gigantic  figure  darkened  the  air. 

"What  will  you  have?"  asked  the  hoalaman. 

"  Nothing,"  said  the  priests.  "  We  only  wished  to  test  you  to  see  if  you 
would  come." 

The  hoalaman's  face  grew  dark  and  angry.  He  rose  o'er  the  city,  and  flew 
away  in  the  gathering  clouds. 

War  came,  and  famine,  and  there  was  great  distress.  The  people  called  on 
th$  priests  to  beat  the  drum  for  the  hoalaman. 

The  priests  did  so.     The  people  waited,  but  nothing  appeared.     The  drum 


HE   SHOT   AN    ARROW    INTO   THE   AIR. 


BANGKOK.  195 

has  been  beaten  many  times  since  in  peril,  but  he  has  never  appeared  again. 
And  it  was  very  long  ago  when  he  is  said  to  have  appeared. 

Still  among  the  festivals  of  Bangkok,  the  new  royal  city,  is  one  to  the 
hoalaman.  Whether  he  will  ever  appear  again,  we  cannot  say.  But  we  give 
his  picture,  which  will  show  you  how  he  did  appear.  Whose  thought  created 
him,  we  cannot  tell.  No  one  knows;  but  all  architectural  embellishments 
of  stone  and  marble  were  once  some  one's  thoughts,  and  most  thoughts  in 
marble  are  the  poetry  of  the  past. 


CHAPTER   XII. 


THE   SIAMESE   TWINS. 

EARLY  everybody  is  interested  in  the  wonders  of 
Nature,  whether  they  are  simply  animals  that  are 
rarely  seen,  or  what  are  called  freaks  of  Nature  ; 
that  is,  unusually  large,  or  uncommonly  small,  or 
curiously  developed  specimens  of  common  ani- 
mals. We  all  like  to  see  giants,  and  dwarfs,  and 
the  strange  creatures  of  the  menagerie. 

The  Siamese  twins,  Chang  and  Eng,  who 
died  on  the  i7th  of  January,  1874,  belonged  to  the  class  of  strangely 
developed  human  beings,  and  they  were  interesting  mainly,  but  not 
wholly,  on  that  account.  They  were  two  men  joined  together  from 
their  birth  and  all  through  life.  The  breast-bone  of  each  was  pro- 
longed in  the  form  of  a  hard,  stiff  substance,  called  cartilage,  which 
connected  them  together,  making  them  curiously  one,  while  they  were 
also  two  persons. 

Chang  and  Eng  were  found,  about  the  year  1829,  in  a  village  of 
Siam,  by  a  sea-captain  from  Newburyport,  Mass.  They  were  then 
supposed  to  be  about  eighteen  years  old.  Their  mother  had  seven- 
teen children,  but  they  alone  were  in  any  way  different  from  ordinary 
Siamese  children. 

Captain  Coffin,  the  sea-captain  who  found  the  two  boys  in  Siam, 
bought  them  from  their  parents,  who  were  very  poor  people,  and,  tak- 
ing them  on  board  his  ship,  brought  them  to  this  country.  Here 


THE  SIAMESE   TWINS. 


199 


they  excited  a  good  deal  of  interest.     They  were  carried  about  from 
>lace  to  place,  and  exhibited  to  large  numbers  of  people. 

Afterwards  they  gave  exhibitions  on  their  own  account,  and  made 
handsome  property.     With  this  they  bought  a  farm  in  North  Caro- 
lina, on  which  they  lived.     Two  women,  sisters,  consented  to  marry 
them,  and  the  two  families  lived  to- 
gether under  the  same  roof.     Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  they  remained 
at  home  undisturbed ;    but  the  war 
made    them    poor,   and   they    were 
compelled   in    1866   to   travel    and 
exhibit     themselves     once     more. 
Then  they  again  returned  to  North 
Carolina,  and  remained  there  until 
their  death. 

That  which  seemed  to  excite 
the  most  wonder  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  saw  them,  but  which  was 
really  one  of  the  least  wonderful 
things  about  them,  was  that  they 
appeared  always  to  think  alike  and 
to  act  alike.  When  they  were 
coming  over  from  Siam  the  sailors 
used  to  play  with  them  and  chase  them  around  the  ship.  One  day,  in 
running  to  escape  from  their  pursuers,  they  came  to  an  open  hatch- 
way ;  if  they  had  tumbled  into  the  hold  of  the  vessel,  they  would  have 
been  killed.  They  both  leaped  at  the  same  instant,  and  landed  safely 
on  the  other  side. 

Among  other  things,  scientific  men  tried  to  decide  whether  their 
likeness  in  thought  and  action  was  caused  by  their  being  joined  to- 
gether; that  is,  whether  it  was  because  they  had,  as  it  were,  only  one 
body.  The  general  opinion  was  that  such  was  not  the  cause,  but  that 


THE   SIAMESE  TWINS. 

[From  Johnson's  Encyclopaedia.] 


200  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES, 

their  harmony  was  the  result  of  habit.  From  infancy  they  had  been 
obliged  to  do  the  same  thing.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  foolish 
than  a  quarrel  between  them,  and  they  had  simply  learned,  by  doing 
the  same  thing  at  the  same  time,  to  think  and  act  alike,  as  two  most 
intimate  friends.  Yet  there  was  a  real  connection  between  them  that 
partly  explains  this  harmony,  notwithstanding  the  opinion  of  scientific 
men.  Their  hearts  beat  at  the  same  rate  and  at  the  same  instant,  and 
they  breathed  also  exactly  alike.  There  was  a  point  in  the  centre  of 
the  link  that  bound  them  together,  and  for  an  inch  on  either  side, 
where,  if  a  pin  were  stuck  into  the  skin,  both  would  feel  it ;  this  proves 
that  the  nerves  of  the  two  men  were  connected,  and  the  nerves  are 
only  an  extension  of  the  brain.  Consequently  the  brains  of  the  two  - 
the  brain  being  the  origin  of  thought  and  act  —  were  joined. 

It  was  always  a  very  interesting  question  whether  either  of  the 
twins  could  continue  to  live  if  the  connection  should  be  cut  When 
Chang  and  Eng  were  in  Europe  some  years  ago,  very  eminent  sur- 
geons were  consulted  on  this  point.  The  twins  submitted  to  some 
experiments  intended  to  settle  the  question.  One  of  these  was  tying 
a  cord  very  tightly  around  the  substance  that  joined  them.  They 
both  showed  signs  of  distress,  and  came  very  near  fainting.  From 
this  it  was  concluded  that  they  could  not  be  cut  apart  and  live,  al- 
though a  few  physicians  declared  that  it  would  be  possible ;  but  all 
advised  that  if  either  should  die,  the  bond  between  the  living  and  dead 
should  be  severed  at  once. 

The  twins  themselves,  however,  secretly  determined  not  to  act  on 
this  advice.  They  directed  by  their  wills  that  they  should  never  be 
parted,  even  in  death.  It  would  probably  have  been  impossible  for 
either  to  live  without  the  companionship  of  the  other,  even  if  there 
had  been  a  possibility  of  mere  existence  when  they  had  been  sep- 
arated. But  evidently  they  had  agreed  that  neither  wished  to  survive 
the  other. 

It  was  surprising  what  these  two  men  could  do  in  spite  of  their 


of//&T 


JAVAN   WOMEN   DANCING. 


THE  SIAMESE    TWINS.  203 

being  held  so  closely  together.  They  could  turn  back  to  back,  or 
face  to  face,  with  but  little  inconvenience;  one  could  stand  on  a  stool 
while  the  other  was  on  the  floor.  They  were  able  to  do  the  ordinary 
work  on  a  farm ;  and  although  together  they  could  perform  more  than 
the  labor  of  one  man,  they  could  not  perform  the  labor  of  two. 

They  were  possessed  of  a  very  good  degree  of  intelligence.  Even 
on  the  passage  to  this  country,  they  learned  to  play  checkers  well  enough 
to  defeat  some  old  players.  They  learned  our  language,  and  became 
good  American  citizens.  Some  years  ago  they  united  with  a  Baptist 
church  in  North  Carolina ;  and  although  they  were  not  without  some 
serious  faults,  they  were  regarded  as,  on  the  whole,  consistent  church- 
members. 

Other  persons  joined  together  as  curiously  as  they,  have  been 
known  to  exist,  but  never  before  did  any  twins  so  connected  live  to 
such  an  age.  They  were  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  i8n,and 
they  were  therefore  about  sixty-three  years  old  when  they  died ;  and  it 
does  not  seem  that  their  peculiar  condition  had  anything  to  do  with 
causing  the  death  of  Chang. 

The  later  history  of  these  two  remarkable  brothers  was  very  sad. 
Their  wives,  though  sisters,  did  not  agree,  and  finally  one  of  them  left 
the  house  where  they  had  all  lived  together.  There  were  six  children 
in  one  family  and  five  in  the  other.  A  part  of  these  were  both  deaf 
and  dumb,  and  the  rest  were  not  bright. 

These  domestic  troubles  caused  the  brothers  to  become  somewhat 
estranged.  It  would  be  hard  to  conceive  of  any  situation  more  dis- 
tressing than  to  be  compelled  always  to  be  in  the  company  of  a  person 
with  whom  one  is  not  on  the  best  of  terms.  Finally,  Chang  was  at- 
tacked by  paralysis,  and,  like  many  another,  he  took  to  intoxicating 
drink  to  allay  his  suffering.  He  grew  worse,  and  at  last,  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  i  yth  of  January,  1874,  he  died. 

When  Eng  discovered  that  his  life-long  companion  was  dead,  he 
was  filled  with  such  agony  and  dread  that  he  became  deranged.  His 


2O4  ZIGZAG   JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

violent  insanity  soon  changed  to  insensibility,  and  in  about  two  hours 
after  Chang's  death  he  breathed  his  last.  The  grief  of  the  two  wives 
and  of  the  partially  idiotic  children  is  said  to  have  been  very  touching. 
The  most  remarkable  thing  about  the  Siamese  twins,  after  all,  is 
that  they  were  able  to  overcome  to  so  great  an  extent  the  restraints 
which  Nature  had  put  upon  them.  That  which  made  them  differ  from 
other  men  hindered  them  also  in  doing  what  other  men  do.  They 
succeeded  in  conquering  Nature  as  really  as  the  blind  man  does  when 
he  learns  to  see  with  his  fingers,  or  as  the  dumb  child  does  when  he 
learns  to  hear  with  his  eyes.  They  might  have  been  contented  to  live 
at  ease  by  showing  their  peculiarity.  They  chose,  instead,  to  earn  a 
living  as  other  men  do.  For  this  they  were  entitled  to  credit,  and  to 
be  remembered  with  respect,  as  men  who,  under  difficult  circumstances, 
tried  to  act  well  their  part. 


A   JAVAN    HOME. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE   ADVENTURES   OF   A   LINEMAN    IN    SUMATRA. 


HE  Indian  is,  perhaps,  the  only  ocean  known  to 
ancient  history.  It  is  certain  that  the  navies  of 
King  Solomon  entered  it  and  found  some  of  the 
riches  of  its  coast. 

It  is  an  ocean  of  islands,  —  of  a  thousand 
islands  which  are  little  continents ;  of  ten  thou- 
sand islands,  if  we  count  the  gardens  of  the 
warm  sea.  It  washes  the  palm-shaded  shores 
of  Africa,  Arabia,  Persia,  and  India,  and  the  East  India  islands, 
Australia,  and  Van  Diemen's  Land.  Many  of  its  groups  of  islands 
are  like  cities  of  the  sea,  —  Venices  and  Bangkoks.  Among  its  isl- 
ands are  wild  Madagascar  and  beautiful  Ceylon. 

The  stories  of  the  sea  which  for  centuries  have  delighted  the  world 
and  excited  its  wonder,  have  been  largely  associated  with  these  islands. 
Christianity  has  been  carried  to  them  all.  There  has  followed  the 
missionary  two  potent  forces  and  coadjutors  of  civilization,  —  steam 
and  electricity.  The  section  hands  and  the  linemen  have  been  the 
missionaries  of  civilization.  Next  to  heart  and  thought  and  the  Divine 
inspiration,  these  two  forces  —  steam  and  electricity,  the  engine  and 
the  telegraph  —  have  most  greatly  changed  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
The  steam-engine  may  be  said  to  govern  them  all. 

The  work  of  the  lineman  has  received  but  little  credit  in  the  his- 
tory of  recent  progress ;  but  barbarism  has  disappeared  wherever  this 
persevering  individual  has  stretched  the  line  that  makes  the  lightning 
the  servant  of  human  thought. 


208  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES 

The  increase  of  telegraph  communication  is  the  wonder  of  the  age. 
New  York  can  talk  with  India  in  a  few  hours.  In  1880,  31,700,000 
telegrams  were  sent  in  the  United  States.  Fifteen  thousand  people 
were  employed  in  telegraphy  by  the  same  census.  Of  these  about 
2,500  were  linesmen,  or  linemen. 

A  lineman  is  one  who  runs  telegraph  wires.  The  business  re- 
quires special  scientific  training.  In  many  distant  places  the  telegraph 
line  has  to  be  protected  and  often  mended.  In  Asia  the  lineman,  like 
the  section  hand  on  the  railway,  finds  constant  service.  Asia  is  being 
covered  with  railroads  and  telegraph  lines,  and  especially  India,  and 
the  provinces  under  the  English  and  French  flags.  Submarine  cables 
connect  the  islands  of  the  East  Indies,  and  the  islands  themselves  are 
crossed  by  commercial  wires. 

The  linemen,  like  the  section  hands,  in  Asiatic  countries  are 
mostly  English.  It  requires  an.  army  of  English  laborers  to  build 
and  protect  the  ways  and  communications  of  commerce. 

Among  the  many  destructive  agents  of  the  telegraph  in  Asiatic 
countries  and  islands  are  elephants  and  apes. 

Dr.  C.  A.  Stephens,  in  the  "  Youth's  Companion,"  has  given  a 
series  of  articles  on  the  perils  of  a  lineman's  life,  in  which  the  lineman 
has  the  following  experience  with  elephants :  — 


ROGUISH   ELEPHANTS. 

During  the  year  I  was  in  this  Sumatran  company's  employ,  my  duties  led 
me  to  reside  at  a  station  called  Gunong  Lobo,  where  the  line  crosses  one  of  the 
military  roads  which  the  Dutch  have  built  and  maintain  across  the  island.  At 
this  station  were  four  rumahs  (pole-houses),  elevated  on  posts,  the  better  to 
keep  out  vermin  and  wild  beasts,  and  occupied  by  a  lieutenant  and  a  squad 
of  native  soldiers,  who  each  serve  three  months  of  the  year. 

Near  these  was  placed  the  new  telegraph  office  where  I  had  my  quarters  ; 
and  with  me  my  one  assistant,  a  Sumatran  Malay  boy,  named  Udong,  who 
was  certainly  one  of  the  most  peculiar  youngsters  ever  described. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   LINEMAN  IN  SUMATRA.  211 

Udong  hailed  from  one  of  the  southern  kamflongs,  up  the  river  Inem  from 
Palembang.  He  was  not  far  from  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  looked  very 
much  like  a  Chinaman,  his  complexion  being  only  a  trifle  darker  and  more 
sallow,  and  his  eyes  rather  less  oblique. 

He  always  wore  a  gay  but  dirty  print  tunic,  wide  blue  trousers,  and  a  bi^ 
sun-hat  of  palm-leaf  which  he  made  himself.  Of  all  the  boys  I  ever  met, 
he  was  the  softest-spoken,  as  well  as  the  mildest  and  slowest.  He  was  slow 
to  move,  slow  to  speak,  and  slow  to  understand, —  particularly  slow  to  under- 
stand anything  he  did  not  wish  to  do. 

At  such  times  he  would  stand  stock-still  and  look  the  picture  of  amiability, 
not  to  say  silliness,  while  you  told  him  ten  or  twelve  times  what  you  wished 
him  to  do ;  then  he  would  sit  down  and  sigh.  If,  out  of  all  patience,  you 
spoke  sharply,  he  would  look  up  and  smile  with  winning  sweetness. 

It  was  of  no  use  trying  to  avoid  it ;  I  was  obliged  to  punish  him  about  once 
a  week.  It  seemed  as  if  it  required  a  moderately  severe  beating  to  key  him  up. 
He  would  stand  in  passive  expectation  of  it,  never  run  away,  nor  try  to  escape 
till  I  let  go  of  his  collar. 

Then  he  would  run  with  all  his  might,  with  a  horrified  face  turned  back 
over  his  left  shoulder,  —  always  the  left,  —  and  his  coarse  black  hair  rising 
straight  up  from  his  head. 

In  three  minutes  he  would  come  back,  however,  and  do  his  work  with  per- 
fect decorum.  He  really  was  (\u\tefond  of  me  ! 

The  reader  may  think  that  Udong  was  a  fool ;  but  he  was  far  from  that. 
He  was  merely  a  Malay;  and  he  knew  a  great  deal,  in  a  Malay  way,  and  would 
say  and  do  uncommonly  bright  things.  His  nose  was  crooked  to  one  side,  and 
one  of  his  legs  presented  a  curious  spectacle  from  the  deep-pitted  scars  where 
a  tiger  had  "  chewed  "  it  some  ten  years  previously. 

There  were  rather  over  twenty  miles  of  wire  in  the  section  which  I  had  to 
keep  in  order,  stretching  southward  from  Gunong  Lobo  down  the  valley  of  the 
river  Busar,  —  a  beautiful  region  of  country,  walled  on  the  east  by  several  high 
peaks,  from  one  of  which  rose  constantly,  in  fair  weather,  a  tall  white  column 
of  smoke. 

But  if  storms  were  at  hand,  the  smoke  would  grow  black  and  hang  in  an 
immense  sable  cloud,  like  an  inverted  cone,  over  the  mountain.  The  natives 
call  this  volcano  Benu  Sorboro.  It  came  to  be  my  weather  prophet,  taking  the 
place  of  "  Probabilities." 

The  second  week  after  I  went  upon  duty  there,  a  cyclone  passed  over  the 
island,  tearing  a  "  road  "  through  the  forests,  and  prostrating  fully  a  mile  of 
posts  and  wire.  In  the  case  of  such  "  breaks,"  I  generally  took  Udong  along 


212  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

with  me,  to  carry  wire  and  a  little  bag  of  "  insulators,"  and  also  to  assist  in 
cutting  away  overblown  trees  and  putting  up  fallen  poles. 

A  telegraph  line  through  such  a  country  needs  a  great  deal  of  looking 
after.  Trees  —  all  vegetation,  in  fact  —  grow  very  rapidly  and  rankly  in  these 
sub-tropic  islands,  and  tornadoes  are  of  almost  weekly  occurrence. 


A    LITTLE    SUSPENSION    BRIDGE    OF   BAMBOO. 


Along  the  Busar  there  was  a  rich  growth  of  cocoanut,  areca,  palmetto,  and 
other  palms,  rising  erect  and  tall  from  amidst  a  dense  undergrowth  of  creeping, 
prickly-leaved  rattan,  trailing  calamus,  and  stiff,  rigid  bamboo. 

A  roadway  fifty  feet  wide  had  been  "  bushed  "  out  for  the  telegraph  wires, 
but  the  lofty  cocoanut-trees  often  fell  across  this  space.  The  sun  bears  kill  a 
great  many  of  these  noble  palms,  climbing  up  and  eating  the  "  cabbage  "  bud 
at  the  top,  after  which  the  trunk  falls  in  a  few  years. 

But  falling  trees  were  far  from  being  our  worst  and  most  dangerous  adver- 
saries. Toward  the  latter  part  of  my  first  month  there,  a  herd  of  elephants 
came  over  into  the  valley  from  the  interior  districts  of  the  island,  where  these 
great  animals  are  said  to  be  numerous. 

It  is  what  naturalists  rank  as  the  Elephas  Sumatrensis,  and  is  held  to  differ 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   U NEMAN  IN  SUMATRA.  215 

somewhat  from  both  the  African  and  Asiatic  species.  Be  that  as  it  may,  these 
Sumatran  elephants  are  the  most  cunning,  bothersome  brutes  it  has  ever  been 
my  lot  to  meet. 

The  first  intimation  I  had  of  their  presence  on  the  Busar  was  a  "  break  "  of 
the  line.  Very  early  one  morning  the  operator  up  at  Padang  began  calling 
Gunong  Lobo,  and  upon  my  responding,  declared  there  was  a  "  break  "  between 
me  and  Ari  Pusu,  the  station  next  below. 

This  I  at  once  found  to  be  true.  Ari  Pusu  was  "  dead."  No  business 
could  be  done  between  Padang  and  Batavia  till  the  break  was  mended.  So  I 
at  once  roused  out  Udong,  and  we  set  off  down  the  line  afoot;  for  the  company 
did  not  provide  horses. 

It  was  hardly  light,  but  the  munyeets  (monkeys)  were  chattering  and  the 
parrots  had  begun  to  scream.  We  went  rapidly  down  the  line,  along  the  cleared 
"  lane,"  keeping  directly  under  the  wires,  so  as  to  see,  by  looking  up  at  them 
against  the  sky,  that  they  were  in  place  on  the  glasses.  We  had  proceeded 
three  or  four  miles,  when  Udong  suddenly  stopped  and  pulled  my  blouse- 
sleeve. 

"Heer!  Heer !  "  he  whispered,  in  his  softest  of  whispers,  —  he  always  ad- 
dressed me  as  Heer,  which  was  his  Malayan  pronunciation  of  the  Dutch  Herr, 
or  "  sir." 

"  Heer,  moluk  cer  kripuse  esp  zoochese  gigi !  "  which  I  may  freely  translate 
into,  "  Sir,  sir,  I  smell  the  huge  beasts  !  "  By  "  huge  beasts"  he  meant  elephants, 
as  I  well  knew. 

Udong  had  a  keener  sense  of  smell  than  I  ;  for  though  I  sniffed  this  way  and 
that,  I  could  smell  nothing,  save  the  great  rank  narka  blossoms. 

But  as  I  had  some  confidence  in  the  lad's  nasal  powers,  we  proceeded  rather 
more  cautiously,  Udong  telling  me  that  probably  there  had  been  sarkawok-vjar 
—  that  is  to  say,  elephant-war  —  over  in  the  interior,  among  the  great  herds 
there,  and  that  some  had  been  driven  forth  as  exiles. 

These  banished  ones  had,  in  the  lad's  opinion,  come  through  the  mountain- 
passes  to  the  Busar.  Terrible  sarkawoks,  he  assured  me,  sometimes  raged 
between  different  tribes  of  elephants,  particularly  after  some  old  for^w/ (king- 
elephant)  had  died,  or  been  killed. 

As  soon  as  day  had  fairly  dawned,  the  tracks  of  elephants  —  not  less  than 
fifteen  of  them  —  were  plainly  visible  in  the  open  lane  along  the  wires,  as  also 
heaps  of  their  coarse  excrement.  But  these  tracks  were  all  on  the  east  side  of 
the  line. 

The  animals  appeared  to  have  followed  one  after  the  other,  in  single  file, 
keeping  to  the  lane,  but  going  on  as  much  aloof  from  the  pendent  wires  as 


2i6  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

possible.     There  was  not  a  track  either  beneath  the  wires  or  on  the  other  side 
of  them. 

Udong  at  once  bade  me  notice  this  circumstance,  saying,  "  Geezu  him  'fraid 
trap ;  "  meaning  that  the  elephants  suspected  that  the  wires  were  some  snare 
laid  for  them. 

Yet  they  enjoyed  the  easy,  open  route  along  the  cleared  "  lane  "  too  well 
to  leave  it ;  or  perhaps,  as  I  now  surmise,  they  wished  to  go  farther  to  the  west, 
and  having  come  to  the  wires  and  not  daring  to  pass  beneath  them,  they  were 
following  along  the  line,  expecting  presently  to  come  to  the  end  of  it,  and  so 
go  around  it. 

It  shows  how  keen  are  the  senses  of  these  creatures,  and  how  distrustful  and 
sagacious  are  their  minds,  that  they  should,  on  approaching  the  line  at  dead  of 
night,  at  once  have  discovered  it  and  formed  such  an  opinion  of  it. 

Following  on  the  trail  of  the  herd,  we  came,  just  at  sunrise,  to  a  large  creek, 
which  flows  down  from  the  hills  into  the  Busar.  A  little  suspension-bridge  of 
rattans  had  been  hung  over  the  creek  at  this  point. 

The  elephants  had  torn  this  bridge  down  and  forded  the  stream ;  and 
Udong  tells  me  that  whenever  a  herd  follows  along  any  of  the  island  roads  or 
paths,  they  invariably  destroy  the  bridges  before  crossing  the  creeks  or  rivers, 
and  that  they  cause  the  native  planters  and  others  a  vast  deal  of  trouble  in  this 
respect. 

After  crossing  the  creek  we  climbed  a  long  stretch  of  upland  for  half  an 
hour  or  more,  but  immediately,  on  gaining  the  height  of  land  overlooking  a 
considerable  valley  beyond,  Udong,  who  was  a  few  rods  ahead,  turned  back, 
exclaiming,  — 

"  Ahk  geezu  ekki,  Heer  !  Ahk  mu  gie  kissu  O,  Heer !  "  (Here  are  the 
elephants,  sir !  Here  are  the  big  rogues !  ) 

Hurrying  forward  and  glancing  down  the  long  lane,  I  saw  a  truly  strange 
sight,  —  one  that  filled  me  at  once  with  both  astonishment  and  anxiety. 

Half  or  three-fourths  of  a  mile  down  the  lane  were  the  elephants,  fifteen  or 
sixteen  of  them,  all  busy  as  bees,  tearing  down  the  telegraph  posts  and  wires ! 

Evidently  they  had  grown  tired  of  trying  to  go  round  the  line,  and  had  set 
to  work  to  demolish  it. 

Already,  as  I  could  see,  they  had  six  or  eight  hundred  yards  of  it  down ; 
and  from  the  sturdy  manner  in  which  they  were  delving  away,  it  looked  as  if, 
not  content  with  merely  making  a  gap,  they  had  determined  to  tear  down  the 
entire  line. 

But  could  I  for  a  moment  have  divested  my  mind  of  my  great  anxiety  and 
sense  of  responsibility,  it  would  have  been  a  most  interesting  spectacle.  It  was 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   LINEMAN  IN  SUMATRA. 


2I7 


"OTHERS    WERE    BREAKING   DOWN    OR   WRENCHING   OUT  THE   POSTS." 

a  Titanic  job,  and  these  huge  animal  Titans  were  at  it  after  a  Samsonian  fashion 
all  their  own. 

Three  or  four  were  reaching  up  and  tugging  back  at  the  wires  with  their 
trunks,  — wrenching  down  length  after  length.  Others  seemed  to  be  coiling,  or 
wadding  up,  long  stretches  of  wire  already  hauled  down  and  broken  off. 

These  bent  and  crinkled-up  masses  they  marched  off  with,  holding  them 
aloft ;  and  I  could  see  that  some  went  to  the  river,  while  others  went  back  into 
the  forest. 


2i8  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

Still  others  were  breaking  down  or  wrenching  out  the  posts,  kneeling  and 
twisting  at  them  with  their  trunks  or  tusks.  I  could  distinctly  hear  the  poles 
crack. 

Indeed,  there  was  a  considerable  hubbub ;  and  over  the  noise  of  their  labor 
would  resound,  here  and  there,  a  loud  trumpet-like  squeak,  as  of  savage  glee 
and  exultation  over  the  havoc  they  were  making. 

I  scarcely  knew  what  to  do.  Glancing  at  Udong,  I  noticed  in  his  commonly 
mild,  immobile  face  a  gleam  of  unwonted  fun  and  excitement. 

"  Is  your  gun  loaded,  Udong?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Jak  !  jak  !  "  said  he,  eagerly. 

"Will  you  make  fight,  Udong?  Will  you  come  snug  after  me  and  not  run 
off?  "  I  questioned. 

"  Jak !  jak  !   No  run  !  " 

I  argued  from  this  readiness  that  Udong  did  not  deem  the  herd  very  dan- 
gerous, and  started  down  the  hill,  putting  fresh  cartridges  into  my  carbine  as 
we  went  along. 

Coming  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  nearest  of  the  troop,  I  first  looked 
out  a  good  place  to  send  into  the  thick  rattans,  then  bade  Udong  fire  his  old 
Dutch  musket  at  the  elephants  and  yell  as  loud  as  he  could. 

I  followed  suit  with  my  Spencer  carbine,  peppering  the  nearest  of  the  big 
brutes  where  they  stood  tugging  at  a  post. 

With  the  first  bang  of  Udong's  old  gun  and  the  sharp  reports  of  my  breech- 
loader, the  whole  herd  stopped  work  and  faced  about. 

I  expected  nothing  but  that  they  would  charge  on  us.  They  stared  for  an 
instant,  their  great  ears  rising;  then  such  a  trumpeting  rose  as  might  have  been 
heard  five  miles. 

We  fired  several  more  shots,  when  to  my  surprise  and  great  relief,  the  entire 
troop  made  off,  racing  down  across  the  intervale  to  the  Busar,  which  they 
crossed  at  a  place  where  the  water  was  so  deep  that  we  could  see  nothing  of 
them  in  the  stream  save  the  ends  of  their  trunks,  held  up  —  Udong  said  —  to 
breathe  by.  They  kept  up  a  savage  trumpeting,  but  on  emerging  from  the 
river,  made  off  into  the  wqods  beyond  it. 

Not  less  than  a  thousand  yards  of  the  line  was  demolished,  wires  and  posts. 
After  a  hurried  survey  of  the  "  break,"  I  sent  Udong  back  to  the  station,  bid- 
ding him  get  the  lieutenant  and  his  men,  and  return  with  all  the  spare  wire  and 
insulators.  I  then  fell  to  work  to  do  what  I  could,  alone,  till  they  came,  hoping 
to  get  at  least  one  wire  working  across  the  gap  by  nightfall. 

Noon  came.  Udong  did  not  come.  I  worked  on  alone  till  past  five  o'clock ; 
then,  quite  tired  out  and  faint  with  hunger,  I  made  my  way  back  to  the  station. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   LINEMAN  JN  SUMATRA.  219 

Udong  was  asleep.  He  had  eaten  up  all  the  cooked  food  we  had,  and  gone 
to  bed ;  and  he  had  not  said  a  word  to  the  lieutenant.  But  I  was  too  much 
fatigued  and  too  faint  to  disturb  the  serenity  of  his  dreams  that  night. 

It  was  thirty-six  hours  before  we  had  the  line  working  again  ;  and  this  was 
far  from  being  the  last  of  our  troubles  with  the  elephants. 

The  Indian  Sea  islands  are  full  of  charming  tales.  The  old 
Mohammedan  legends  are  told  there,  —  stones  as  bejewelled  with 
radiant  fancies  as  the  Arabian  Nights.  Two  kinds  of  tales  enchant 
all  people  of  these  antipodal  palm-lands,  —  those  of  the  Caliphs  of 
Persia  and  those  of  the  Rajahs  of  India.  Many  of  these  stories  are 
allegories  of  life.  We  give  one  which  illustrates,  in  a  very  humorous 
way,  the  life  of  a  class  of  people  whom  circumstances  make  to  pass 
for  more  than  they  are  worth.  We  have  never  found  a  more  clever 
illustration  of  the  ridiculous  manner  in  which  one  may  gain  a  false 
reputation. 

A    MAN   WHO   SCARED   AN   ARMY. 

ABRIDGED   FROM    "OLD   DECCAN   DAYS." 

Once  upon  a  time,  in  a  violent  storm  of  thunder,  lightning,  wind,  and  rain, 
a  Tiger  crept  for  shelter  close  to  the  wall  of  an  old  woman's  hut. 

At  this  moment  a  Chattee-maker,  or  Potter,  who  was  in  search  of  his 
donkey  which  had  strayed  away,  came  down  the  road.  The  night  being  very 
cold,  he  had,  truth  to  say,  taken  a  little  more  toddy  than  was  good  for  him,  and 
seeing,  by  the  light  of  a  flash  of  lightning,  a  large  animal  lying  down  close  to 
the  old  woman's  hut,  he  mistook  it  for  the  donkey  he  was  looking  for.  So 
running  up  to  the  Tiger,  he  seized  hold  of  it  by  one  ear,  and  commenced  beat- 
ing, kicking,  and  abusing  it  with  all  his  might  and  main. 

"  You  wretched  creature  !  "  he  cried,  "  is  this  the  way  you  serve  me,  obliging 
me  to  come  out  and  look  for  you  in  such  pouring  rain  and  on  such  a  dark  night 
as  this?  Get  up  instantly,  or  I  '11  break  every  bone  in  your  body!  "  So  he 
went  on  scolding  and  thumping  the  Tiger  with  his  utmost  power,  for  he  had 
worked  himself  up  into  a  terrible  rage.  The  Tiger  did  not  know  what  to  make 
of  it  all. 

The  Chattee-maker,  having  made  the  Tiger  get  up,  got  on  his  back  and 
forced  him  to  carry  him  home,  kicking  and  beating  him  the  whole  way,  for  all 


22O 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


this  time  he  fancied  he  was  on  his  donkey ;  and  then  he  tied  his  fore  feet  and 
his  head  firmly  together,  and  fastened  him  to  a  post  in  front  of  his  house,  and 
when  he  had  done  this  he  went  to  bed. 

Next  morning,  when  the  Chattee-maker's  wife  got  up  and  looked  out  of  the 
window,  what  did  she  see  but  a  great  big  Tiger  tied  up  in  front  of  their  house, 


"SO   HE   SENT   FOR    HIS    LORDS    AND    ATTENDANTS,    AND   THEY    ALL   SET   OFF   TOGETHER." 

to  the  post  to  which  they  usually  fastened  the  donkey?  She  was  very  much 
surprised,  and  running  to  her  husband  awoke  him,  saying,  — 

"  Do  you  know  what  animal  you  fetched  home  last  night?  " 

"  Yes ;  the  donkey,  to  be  sure,"  he  answered. 

"  Come  and  see !  "  said  she ;  and  she  showed  him  the  great  Tiger  tied  to 
the  post.  The  Chattee-maker  at  this  was  no  less  astonished  than  his  wife,  and 
felt  himself  all  over  to  find  if  the  Tiger  had  not  wounded  him.  But  no  !  there 
he  was  safe  and  sound,  and  there  was  the  Tiger  tied  to  the  post,  just  as  he  had 
fastened  it  up  the  night  before. 

News  of  the  Chattee-maker's  exploit  soon  spread  through  the  village,  and 
all  the  people  came  to  see  him  and  hear  him  tell  how  he  had  caught  the  Tiger 
and  tied  it  to  the  post;  and  this  they  thought  so  wonderful  that  they  sent  a 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   UN  EM  AN  IN  SUMATRA.  221 

deputation  to  the  Rajah,  or  King,  with  a  letter  to  tell  him  how  a  man  of  their 
village  had,  alone  and  unarmed,  caught  a  great  Tiger  and  tied  it  to  a  post 

When  the  Rajah  read  the  letter  he  also  was  much  surprised,  and  determined 
to  go  in  person  and  see  this  astonishing  sight.  So  he  sent  for  his  lords  and 
attendants,  and  they  all  set  off  together  to  look  at  the  Chattee-maker  and  the 
Tiger  he  had  caught. 

Now,  the  Tiger  was  a  very  large  one,  and  had  long  been  the  terror  of  all 
the  country  round,  which  made  the  whole  matter  still  more  extraordinary;  and 
all  this  being  represented  to  the  Rajah,  he  determined  to  confer  all  possible 
honor  on  the  valiant  Chattee-maker.  So  he  gave  him  houses  and  lands,  and 
as  much  money  as  would  fill  a  well,  made  him  a  lord  of  his  court,  and  conferred 
on  him  the  command  of  ten  thousand  horse. 

It  came  to  pass,  shortly  after  this,  that  a  neighboring  Rajah,  who  had  long 
had  a  quarrel  with  this  one,  sent  to  announce  his  attention  of  going  instantly  to 
war  with  him  ;  and  tidings  were  at  the  same  time  brought  that  the  Rajah  who 
sent  the  challenge  had  gathered  a  great  army  together  on  the  borders,  and  was 
prepared  at  a  moment's  notice  to  invade  the  country. 

In  this  dilemma  no  one  knew  what  to  do.  The  Rajah  sent  for  all  his  gen- 
erals, and  inquired  of  them  which  would  be  willing  to  take  command  of  his 
forces  and  oppose  the  enemy.  They  all  replied  that  the  country  was  so  ill- 
prepared  for  the  emergency,  and  the  case  was  apparently  so  hopeless,  that  they 
would  rather  not  take  the  responsibility  of  the  chief  command.  The  Rajah 
knew  not  whom  to  appoint  in  their  stead.  Then  some  of  his  people  said  to 
him, — 

"  You  have  lately  given  the  command  of  ten  thousand  horse  to  the  valiant 
Chattee-maker  who  caught  the  Tiger;  why  not  make  him  commander-in-chief? 
A  man  who  could  catch  a  Tiger  and  tie  him  to  a  post,  must  surely  be  more 
courageous  and  clever  than  most." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  Rajah,  "  I  will  make  him  commander-in-chief."  So 
he  sent  for  the  Chattee-maker  and  said  to  him,  "  In  your  hands  I  place  all  the 
power  of  the  kingdom  ;  you  must  put  our  enemies  to  flight  for  us." 

"So  be  it,"  answered  the  Chattee-maker;  "but  before  I  lead  the  whole 
army  against  the  enemy,  suffer  me  to  go  by  myself  and  examine  their  position, 
and,  if  possible,  find  out  their  numbers  and  strength." 

The  Rajah  consented,  and  the  Chattee-maker  returned  home  to  his  wife, 
and  said,  — 

"  They  have  made  me  commander-in-chief,  which  is  a  very  difficult  post 
for  me  to  fill,  because  I  shall  have  to  ride  at  the  head  of  all  the  army,  and  you 
know  I  never  was  on  a  horse  in  my  life.  But  I  have  succeeded  in  gaining  ;. 


222  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

little  delay,  as  the  Rajah  has  given  me  permission  to  go  first  alone  and  recon- 
noitre the  enemy's  camp.  Do  you  therefore  provide  a  very  quiet  pony,  for 
you  know  I  cannot  ride,  and  I  will  start  to-morrow  morning." 

But  before  the  Chattee-maker  had  started,  the  Rajah  sent  over  to  him  a 
most  magnificent  charger  richly  caparisoned,  which  he  begged  he  would  ride 
when  going  to  see  the  enemy's  camp.  The  Chattee-maker  was  frightened 
almost  out  of  his  life,  for  the  charger  that  the  Rajah  had  sent  him  was  very 
powerful  and  spirited,  and  he  felt  sure  that  even  if  he  ever  got  on  it,  he  should 
very  soon  tumble  off;  however,  he  did  not  dare  to  refuse  it,  for  fear  of  offend- 
ing the  Rajah  by  not  accepting  his  present.  So  he  sent  back  to  him  a  message 
of  thanks,  and  said  to  his  wife,  — 

"  I  cannot  go  on  the  pony,  now  that  the  Rajah  has  sent  me  this  fine  horse; 
but  how  am  I  ever  to  ride  it?  " 

"  Oh !  don't  be  frightened,"  she  answered ;  "  you  Ve  only  got  to  get  upon 
it  and  I  will  tie  you  firmly  on,  so  that  you  cannot  tumble  off;  and  if  you  start 
at  night,  no  one  will  see  that  you  are  tied  on." 

"  Very  well,"  he  said.  So  that  night  his  wife  brought  the  horse  that  the 
Rajah  had  sent  him  to  the  door. 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Chattee-maker,  "  I  can  never  get  into  that  saddle,  it  is 
so  high  up." 

"  You  must  jump,"  said  his  wife. 

So  he  tried  to  jump  several  times,  but  each  time  he  jumped  he  tumbled 
down  again. 

"  I  always  forget  when  I  am  jumping,"  said  he,  "  which  way  I  ought  to 
turn." 

"  Your  face  must  be  toward  the  horse's  head,"  she  answered. 

"To  be  sure,  of  course,"  he  cried;  and  giving  one  great  jump  he  jumped 
into  the  saddle,  but  with  his  face  toward  the  horse's  tail. 

"  This  won't  do  at  all,"  said  his  wife,  as  she  helped  him  down  again ;  "  try 
getting  on  without  jumping." 

"  I  never  can  remember,"  he  continued,  "  when  I  have  got  my  left  foot  in 
the  stirrup,  what  to  do  with  my  right  foot  or  where  to  put  it." 

"  That  must  go  in  th?  other  stirrup,"  she  answered ;   "  let  me  help  you." 

So,  after  many  trials,  in  which  he  tumbled  down  very  often,  for  the  horse 
was  fresh  and  did  not  like  standing  still,  the  Chattee-maker  got  into  the  saddle ; 
but  no  sooner  had  he  got  the*re  than  he  cried,  "  Oh,  wife,  wife !  tie  me  very 
firmly  as  quickly  as  possible,  for  I  know  I  shall  jump  down  if  I  can." 

Then  she  fetched  some  strong  rope  and  tied  his  feet  firmly  into  the  stirrups, 
and  fastened  one  stirrup  to  the  other,  and  put  another  rope  round  his  waist  and 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A   UN  EM  AN  IN  SUMATRA. 


225 


another  round  his  neck,  and  fastened  them  to  the  horse's  body  and  neck  and 
tail. 

When  the  horse  felt  all  these  ropes  about  him  he  could  not  imagine  what 
queer  creature  had  got  upon  his  back,  and  he  began  rearing  and  kicking  and 
prancing,  and  at  last  set  off  full  gallop,  as  fast  as  he  could  tear,  right  across 
country. 

"  Wife,  wife  !  "  cried  the  Chattee-maker,  "  you  forgot  to  tie  my  hands." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  she ;  "  hold  on  by  the  mane." 

So  he  caught  hold  of  the  horse's  mane  as  firmly  as  he  could. 

Then  away  went  horse,  away  went  Chattee-maker,  —  away,  away,  away, 
over  hedges,  over  ditches,  over  rivers,  over  plains,  —  away,  away,  like  a  flash  of 
lightning,  —  now  this  way,  now  that,  —  on,  on,  on,  gallop,  gallop,  gallop, - 
until  they  came  in  sight  of  the  enemy's  camp. 

The  Chattee-maker  did  not  like  his  ride  at  all  ;  and  when  he  saw  where  it 
was  leading  him  he  liked  it  still  less,  for  he  thought  the  enemy  would  catch  him 
and  very  likely  kill  him.  So  he  determined  to  make  one  desperate  effort  to  be 
free,  and,  stretching  out  his  hand  as  the  horse  shot  past  a  young  banyan-tree, 
seized  hold  of  it  with  all  his  might,  hoping  that  the  resistance  it  offered  might 
cause  the  ropes  that  tied  him  to  break.  But  the  horse  was  going  at  his  utmost 
speed,  and  the  soil  in  which  the  banyan-tree  grew  was  loose  ;  so  that  when  the 
Chattee-maker  caught  hold  of  it  and  gave  it  such  a  violent  pull,  it  came  up  by 
the  roots,  and  on  he  rode  as  fast  as  before,  with  the  tree  in  his  hand. 

All  the  soldiers  in  the  camp  saw  him  coming,  and,  having  heard  that  an 
army  was  to  be  sent  against  them,  made  sure  that  the  Chattee-maker  was  one 
of  the  vanguard. 

"  See !  "  cried  they ;  "  here  comes  a  man  of  gigantic  stature  on  a  mighty 
horse.  He  rides  at  full  speed  across  the  country,  tearing  up  the  very  trees  in 
his  rage.  He  is  one  of  the  opposing  force ;  the  whole  army  must  be  close  at 
hand.  If  they  are  such  as  he,  we  are  all  dead  men." 

Then,  running  to  their  Rajah,  some  of  them  cried  again,  "  Here  comes  the 
whole  force  of  the  enemy,"  —  for  the  story  had  by  this  time  become  exaggerated. 
"  they  are  men  of  gigantic  stature,  mounted  on  mighty  horses ;  as  they  come 
they  tear  up  the  very  trees  in  their  rage.  We  can  oppose  men,  but  not  monsters 
such  as  these." 

These  were  followed  by  others,  who  said,  "  It  is  all  true,"  —  for  by  this  time 
the  Chattee-maker  had  got  pretty  near  the  camp.  "  They  're  coming !  they're 
coming !  Let  us  fly !  let  us  fly !  Fly,  fly  for  your  lives !  "  And  the  whole  panic- 
stricken  multitude  fled  from  the  camp  (those  who  had  seen  no  cause  for  alarm 
going  because  the  others  did,  or  because  they  did  not  care  to  stay  by  them- 

15 


226  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

selves),  after  having  obliged  their  Rajah  to  write  a  letter  to  the  one  whose  coun- 
try he  was  about  to  invade,  to  say  that  he  would  not  do  so,  and  propose  terms 
of  peace,  and  to  sign  it  and  seal  it  with  his  seal.  Scarcely  had  all  the  people 
fled  from  the  camp,  when  the  horse  on  which  the  Chattee-maker  was,  came 
galloping  into  it;  and  on  his  back  rode  the  Chattee-maker,  almost  dead  from 
fatigue,  with  the  banyan-tree  in  his  hand.  Just  as  he  reached  the  camp,  the 
ropes  by  which  he  was  tied  broke,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground.  The  horse  stood 
still,  too  tired  with  his  long  run  to  go  farther.  On  recovering  his  senses,  the 
Chattee-maker  found,  to  his  surprise,  that  the  whole  camp,  full  of  rich  arms, 
clothes,  and  trappings,  was  entirely  deserted.  In  the  principal  tent,  moreover, 
he  found  a  letter  addressed  to  his  Rajah,  announcing  the  retreat  of  the  invad- 
ing army  and  proposing  terms  of  peace. 

So  he  took  the  letter,  and  returned  home  with  it  as  fast  as  he  could,  leading 
his  horse  all  the  way,  for  he  was  afraid  to  mount  him  again.  It  did  not  take 
him  long  to  reach  his  house  by  the  direct  road,  for  whilst  riding  he  had  gone 
a  more  circuitous  journey  than  was  necessary,  and  he  got  there  just  at  night- 
fall. His  wife  ran  out  to  meet  him,  overjoyed  at  his  speedy  return.  As  soon 
as  he  saw  her,  he  said,— 

"  Ah,  wife,  since  I  saw  you  last  I  've  been  all  round  the  world,  and  had 
many  wonderful  and  terrible  adventures.  But  never  mind  that  now;  send  this 
letter  quickly  to  the  Rajah  by  a  messenger,  and  send  the  horse  also  that  he 
sent  for  me  to  ride.  He  will  then  see,  by  the  horse  looking  so  tired,  what  a 
long  ride  I  Ve  had ;  and  if  he  is  sent  on  beforehand,  I  shall  not  be  obliged  to 
ride  him  up  to  the  palace  door  to-morrow  morning,  as  I  otherwise  should,  and 
that  would  be  very  tiresome,  for  most  likely  I  should  tumble  off."  So  his  wife 
sent  the  horse  and  the  letter  to  the  Rajah,  and  a  message  that  her  husband 
would  be  at  the  palace  early  next  morning,  as  it  was  then  late  at  night.  And 
next  day  he  went  down  there,  as  he  had  said  he  would ;  and  when  the  people 
saw  him  coming,  they  said,  "  This  man  is  as  modest  as  he  is  brave;  after  hav- 
ing put  our  enemies  to  flight,  he  walks  quite  simply  to  the  door,  instead  of 
riding  here  in  state,  as  another  man  would,"  —  for  they  did  not  know  that  the 
Chattee-maker  walked  because  he  was  afraid  to  ride. 

The  Rajah  came  to  the  palace  door  to  meet  him,  and  paid  him  all  possible 
honor.  Terms  of  peace  were  agreed  upon  between  the  two  countries,  and  the 
Chattee-maker  was  rewarded  for  all  he  had  done  by  being  given  twice  as  much 
rank  and  wealth  as  he  had  before ;  and  he  lived  very  happily  all  the  rest  of  his 
life. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


JAVA,    AND   THE   FLYH^G   DUTCHMAN. 

\ 

HE  Javan  boatmen  played  merrily  in  the  shallow 
harbor,  as  the  boats  from  our  ship  approached 
Batavia. 

The  music  was  peculiar.  The  song  was  called 
"  Push  and  Row,"  and  the  thought  is  expressed 
in  the  music. 

In  the  distance  the  tune   became  weird  and 
beautiful.     The  ear  followed  it  as  if  it  were  en- 
chantment; and  following  the  music  we  slowly  drew  near  the  river. 

Then  the  music  changed.  The  new  tune,  I  was  told,  is  called 
"  The  Delight."  It  had  the  same  quality,  the  same  soul  expression, 
as  though  it  were  the  language  of  the  scene. 

The  sun  was  going  down,  and  we  were  entering  the  port  of  Batavia. 
My  readers  may  know  but  little  of  Dutch   India,  and  Batavia,  its 
principal  seaport. 

Batavia  is  the  capital  of  Dutch  India,  or  the  island  empire  of  the 
Netherlands  in  the  East  Indies.  It  is  situated  on  the  river  Jaccatra, 
near  the  sea.  It  is  an  old  city  and  a  new,  the  new  arising  out  of  the 
old.  The  vertical  sun  has  made  it  a  graveyard  of  Europeans ;  yet  it 
still  continues  to  be  the  emporium  of  the  East,  and  has  nearly  an  hun- 
dred thousand  inhabitants. 

If  we  consider  the  city  to  be  connected  with  Buitezorg,  the  gov- 
ernment depots,  it  is  great  indeed,  and  contains  nearly  a  million 
inhabitants. 


230  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


JAVA. 

Java  is  the  Cuba  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  is  nearly  seven  hundred 
miles  long.  It  is  a  volcanic  island,  and  some  of  its  peaks  are  twelve 
thousand  feet  in  height. 

Like  most  volcanic  islands,  it  has  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation, 
very  noxious  animals,  and  gorgeous  flowers.  The  interior  is  covered 
by  dense  forests  of  teak,  and  coffee  plantations  in  the  mellow  light 
diversify  the  mountain-sides.  Sago-palms  shade  the  long  valleys. 
Here  live  the  rhinoceros  and  the  blade  tiger,  and  crocodiles  infest  the 
rank  marshes;  and  some  twenty  kinds  of  deadly  snakes  are  found, 
some  of  them  of  enormous  size.  Here  the  bird  of  Paradise  sports 
amid  flowers  as  gorgeous  as  its  own  plumage ;  and  here  the  swallow 
exudes  from  its  own  mouth  its  waxy  nest,  the  great  delicacy  of  China. 

The  people  live  on  rice,  and  make  their  money  by  exporting 
coffee  and  sugar. 

Java  is  a  colony,  or  province,  of  Holland,  and  the  Dutch  ships 
carry  on  its  trade.  These  facts  have  been  given  or  implied  in  the 
story  of  the  "  Flying  Dutchwoman."  I  had  received  from  that  story  a 
very  correct  impression  of  Java. 

There  was  a  quaint  legend  among  old  travellers  and  explorers 
that  the  island  of  Java  formed  the  picture  of  a  hog.  "  The  figure  of 
the  island  of  Java,"  says  an  old  chronicler,  "resembles  a  hog  couched 
on  its  four  legs,  with  its  head  towards  the  Channel  of  Balaberao,  and 
its  hind  legs  to  the  mouth  of  the  Straits  of  Sunda.  The  southern 
coast  is  his  back." 

The  rival  city  of  Batavia  in  the  East  Indies  is  Singapore,  a  port  as 
magnificent  and  with  a  local  population  nearly  as  large.  The  Dutch 
Government  had  laid  a  telegraph  line  from  Batavia  to  Singapore,  —  a 
distance  of  some  six  hundred  miles,  —  and  it  was  proposed  to  extend 
this  line  inland. 


JAVA,   AND    THE  FLYc  DUTCHMAN.  233 

Soon  after  my  arrival  I  was  given  a  place  in  the  service  of  the 
East  India  Telegraph  Company,  which  had  agencies  at  the  time  both 
in  Batavia  and  Singapore.  In  this  service  I  passed  twice  between  the 
two  cities,  and  made  two  journeys  inland. 

If  Ivory's  influence  had  softened  my  heart  toward  animals  in  Flor- 
ida,—  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  it  had,—  the  feeling  was  in  a  measure 
lost  at  Singapore.  Stones  of  tigers,  and  of  Chinese  who  had  been 
devoured  by  man-eating  tigers,  filled  the  city,  and  I  came  to  look  up- 
on harmless  pussy  but  a  tiger  in  miniature,  a  little  tiger;  and  my 
gun  began  aimless  service  again  in  the  bright  Indian  seas.  I  did  not 
hunt  tigers,  —  I  would  not  have  had  the  courage  to  do  so ;  but  I  killed 
many  harmless  animals  instead.  Men  are  as  cruel  to  animals  in 
Batavia  and  Singapore  as  the  fox-hunters  of  England  or  the  buffalo- 
hunters  on  the  American  plains. 

I  had  almost  lost  Ivory's  influence  at  Singapore,  when  my  feelings 
underwent  a  shock  that  recalled  me  to  it  as;ain. 

Cj 

I  was  out  one  day  with  some  English  telegraphers  and  linemen, 
when  I  saw  what  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  strange  bird  swimming  in  a 
quiet  and  shaded  place  in  the  river.  I  raised  my  gun  and  fired. 

There  followed  a  scream,  and  a  girl's  form  rose  to  the  surface  and 
came  to  the  shore  bleeding.  She  was  a  Malay,  and  her  head  was 
ornamented  with  feathers  that  had  risen  above  the  water  as  she  had 
drifted  under  it. 

No  limbs  were  broken.  She  was  taken  in  charge  of  her  friends, 
who  looked  upon  me  with  such  indignation  that  I  was  glad  to  hurry 
back  to  the  city. 

But  the  sight  of  that  bleeding  arm  long  haunted  me ;  and  when  it 
did  so,  Ivory's  Hindu  philosophy,  that  all  life  should  be  regarded  as 
sacred,  was  impressed  upon  me. 

The  Javans,  or  Javanese,  have  some  singular  superstitions;  among 
them,  one  that  all  familiar  places  are  under  the  guardianship  of  spirits. 
The  island  is  full  of  spiritualism. 


234 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


Singapore  is  a  rich  city.  In  1824  it  was  taken  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  East  India  Company  by  a  treaty  with  the  Sultan  of 
Jabore.  Its  marts  of  wealth  from  that  time  began  to  increase.  It 


"AND   YET  THE   MICE   DO   NOT   LOVE  THE   CAT." 

has  nearly  an  hundred  thousand  inhabitants;  its  laws  are  those  of 
Great  Britain.  It  is  a  free  port,  and  the  seat  of  government  for  the 
Straits  settlements. 

Outside  of  the  city  the  cocoanut,  the  pepper-vine,  and  sugar-cane 
abound.  The  country  around  used  to  be  haunted  by  tigers.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  some  three  hundred  natives  used  to  be  killed  by 
these  beasts  yearly. 


JAVA,  AND   THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN.  235 

"  Here,"  said  an  Englishman  to  me,  "  mice  are  men,  and  the  tiger 
is  the  cat." 

"  And  yet,"  said  another,  "  the  mice  do  not  like  the  cat,  but  call 
her  cruel.  Hcec  fabula  docet,  etc." 

In  a  former  chapter  we  interpolated  the  story  of  the  "  Flying 
Dutchwoman."  The  story  of  the  "  Flying  Dutchman  "  was  the  old 
legend  of  the  Holland  ships  and  traders  in  the  bright  Indian  seas. 


THE   FLYING   DUTCHMAN. 


Many  years  ago,  when  the  East  Indies  were  regarded  in  all  European 
countries  as  the  treasure  islands  of  the  seas,  there  lived  in  Amsterdam,  Holland, 
a  Dutch  sea-captain  by  the  name  of  Vanderdecken.  He  possessed  great  physi- 
cal strength  and  a  spirit  of  daring;  he  had  grown  very  rich  by  trading  in  the 
Dutch  colonies  in  the  Indies,  and  very  proud  too  with  his  riches.  He  met 
and  outrode  many  gales,  and  he  came  to  regard  himself  as  a  man  of  destiny, 
to  whose  will  all  things  were  possible. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  great  Dutch  city  on  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  now 
decayed,  but  once  a  golden  treasure-house  in  the  view  of  the  sailors  of  the 
Netherlands.  Vessels  went  out  of  Amsterdam  empty,  but  returned  from  the 
Java  Sea  laden  with  fruits  and  treasures.  In  short,  the  sailor  was  looked  upon 
as  a  sea  king  who  sailed  for  the  Java  Sea. 

Of  course  there  was  no  Suez  Canal  at  this  time,  and  the  burgomasters,  as 
the  mayors  of  the  Dutch  and  Flemish  towns  were  called,  went  around  the  far 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  their  voyages  to  gather  the  wealth  of  the  Indian  seas. 

Vanderdecken  was  not  a  reverent  man.  He  was  proud  of  his  defiance  of 
religion  and  the  Church. 

One  day  the  pious  people  of  Amsterdam  were  pleased  with  the  sight  of  a 
fine  vessel  in  the  harbor. 

"  When  does  she  sail?  "  was  asked. 

"  To-morrow,"  was  answered  by  the  sailors. 

"  To-morrow  is  Good  Friday,"  said  the  people.  "  Some  ships  have  sailed 
away  on  Friday,  but  they  have  all  been  lost.  Such  a  thing  as  a  ship  sailing  on 
Good  Friday  never  was  known.  What  will  become  of  her?  " 

The  sailors  themselves  looked  frightened,  but  said,  — 

"  We  can  trust  our  captain  for  that" 


236 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


"VESSELS    WENT   OUT   OF   AMSTERDAM   EMPTY.' 


"  Who  is  your  captain?  " 

"  Vanderdecken." 

"  Where  is  the  ship  bound  for?  " 


A  STRANGE  FORM  APPKARKD  ON  THE  DECK." 


JAYA,   AND    THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN.  239 

"  The  Java  seas." 

The  next  day  was  Good  Friday.  Bells  filled  the  April  air,  —  solemn  bells, 
—  and  while  they  were  ringing,  the  sails  of  the  ship  arose,  and  the  ship  passed 
down  the  harbor  and  into  the  sea. 

Wondering  eyes  watched  her.  "What  will  become  of  her?  What  will 
become  of  her?"  asked  all  the  people.  Many  answered,  "  She  never  will 
return." 

The  Dutch  at  this  time  controlled  the  wonderland  of  Borneo,  as  to-day. 
The  city  on  the  Javan  Sea  to  which  their  ships  went  for  treasure  was  called 
Bantam.  This  city  declined  on  the  rise  of  Batavia. 

Vanderdecken  had  a  prosperous  voyage  until  he  reached  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  when  the  ship  encountered  a  most  furious  gale.  The  weather  was  so 
fierce  that  the  sailors  began  to  fear  that  evil  spirits  possessed  the  air.  Days 
passed,  and  the  gale  continued.  The  ship  made  no  progress,  but  was  tossed 
about  like  a  bubble. 

A  week  passed,  and  still  the  winds  lashed  the  waters.  The  ship  was  driven 
hither  and  thither,  and  her  bare  cordage  shrieked  in  the  ceaseless  winds. 

The  sailors  came  to  Vanderdecken,  and  asked,  "  What  does  this  mean?  " 

"  Mr.  Captain,"  said  one,  "  you  cannot  defy  God,  —  the  heavens  are  against 
us.  Remember  Good  Friday." 

At  this  Vanderdecken  grew  very  angry  with  winds,  with  the  sailors,  and 
with  fate. 

"  Howl  on  !  "  he  said  to  the  wild  sky  and  white  waves.  "  Blow  !  beat !  I 
will  double  the  Cape  if  I  have  to  sail  to  all  eternity.  Howl !  blow  !  beat !  " 

A  darkness  came  over  the  sea,  and  a  strange  form  appeared  on  the  deck 
of  the  ship  and  stood  by  the  Captain. 

44  I  have  heard  your  vow,"  said  the  mysterious  figure.  "  You  shall  sail  on 
forever." 

The  word  "  forever"  struck  terror  even  to  the  proud  heart  of  Vanderdecken. 

44  Who  are  you?  " 

"  I  raised  the  storm." 

"The  Evil  One?" 

41  So  men  call  me." 

44  I  am  to  sail  on  forever?" 

44  Yes,  forever." 

44  And  never  come  to  port?  " 

"  Never." 

44  But  will  you  not  grant  me  some  condition  of  release?  " 

"  No." 


240  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  Not  one?  " 

"  Yes,  one,"  said  the  dark  figure  with  a  sneer;  "  if  you  will  find  one  heart 
in  the  world  that  is  always  true,  I  will  release  you.  But  that  will  never,  never 
release  you,  for  such  a  heart  never  yet  was  found." 

"  Not  in  women?  " 

"  Man  nor  woman." 

"  But  how  can  I  find  such  a  heart  unless  I  can  go  into  port?  " 

"  You  may  go  into  port  once  in  seven  years,  under  the  spell." 

The  air  grew  darker. 

"  Sail  on  forever !  "  said  the  figure.    The  darkness  deepened,  and  he  was  gone. 

Time  went  on,  and  the  ship  was  driven  hither  and  thither  from  one  sea 
to  another,  by  gale  upon  gale.  The  sails  turned  red  like  blood,  and  the  masts 
turned  black.  The  sailors  grew  white  and  thin,  and  the  face  of  Vanderdecken 
came  to  wear  a  look  of  unutterable  sorrow  and  remorse. 

Sometimes  the  fated  Captain  would  meet  a  ship  and  try  to  send  letters  back 
to  Holland;  but  the  ships  that  received  his  letters  never  came  to  port.  His 
ship  became  the  terror  of  sailors,  and  no  vessel  that  met  him  would  take  letters 
from  him. 

Every  seven  years  he  would  enter  some  port,  under  the  spell,  in  search  of 
one  true  heart.  But  under  the  spell  he  would  have  to  sail  away  again,  each 
time  more  hopeless  and  in  deeper  sorrow. 

So  a  hundred  or  more  years  passed  ;  and  his  ship,  like  a  skeleton,  was  tossed 
about  by  the  gales. 

The  ships  of  the  sea  all  shunned  him.  It  was  regarded  as  an  evil  omen  so 
much  as  to  see  the  "  Flying  Dutchman,"  as  the  ship  of  Vanderdecken  came  to 
be  called. 

His  relatives  died,  and  his  friends,  —  all  whom  he  had  loved.  "Oh  that  I 
might  forget  the  past,"  he  would  say,  —  "  the  faces  of  those  who  loved  me,  my 
evil  influence,  and  my  evil  deeds !  " 

A  sailor  came  to  him  one  day,  and  said,  — 

"  I  will  tell  you  a  secret." 

"What?" 

"  How  to  find  a  true7  heart  and  get  released." 

"  That  would  make  you  a  friend  to  me,  indeed.     How?" 

"  Truth  finds  its  own.  Repent,  and  carry  a  true  heart  yourself,  and  you 
will  find  another  true  heart.  Do  not  the  same  elements  find  each  other?  " 

There  came  over  Vanderdecken  a  great  change. 

"  How  will  any  one  know  that  my  own  heart  is  true?  "  he  asked  one  day  of 
the  sailor. 


'JAVA,   AND   THE  FLYJNG  DUTCHMAN. 


24I 


"  The  soul  has  its  atmospheres  and  influences  that  are  unseen.  Space  does 
not  bound  them.  Like  thought  finds  like  thought,  and  like  feeling  like  feel- 
ing, across  the  world.  We  meet  people  in  strange  places  whom  we  have  met 


"HE   WOULD   HAVE  TO   SAIL   AWAY   AGAIN." 

in  the  soul  atmospheres  before,  and  we  know  them  and  they  know  us,  though 
we  have  never  seen  each  other." 

"  You  talk  like  a  man  of  the  world,  and  not  like  a  doomed  wanderer  of  the 
sea." 

The  ship  with  her  red  sails  and  black  masts  was  driven  away  from  the  hot 
seas  towards  the  cold  coasts  of  Norway.  Seven  years  since  he  had  learned  the 
secret  of  being  true,  to  find  in  others  a  true  heart,  had  passed,  and  he  again  set 
foot  upon  the  land. 

In  the  old  Norwegian  seaport  there  lived  a  sea-captain  named  Daland.  He 
had  a  beautiful  daughter,  whose  name  was  Senta.  The  home  of  this  merchant- 

16 


242  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

captain  had  been  enriched  with  works  of  art  from  many  lands,  and  among  the 
pictures  in  the  room  of  his  beautiful  daughter  was  a  portrait  of  the  Flying 
Dutchman. 

The  face  in  the  picture  was  one  of  great  sadness,  as  representing  a  penitent 
and  broken  spirit,  and  about  the  time  of  Vanderdecken's  new  purpose  in  life, 
which  he  may  be  supposed  to  have  adopted.  The  picture  began  to  make  a 
strange  impression  upon  the  beautiful  Senta. 

"  Tell  me  about  the  Dutchman,"  she  said  one  day  to  her  father,  soon  after 
he  had  come  into  port. 

"  He  is  doomed  to  sail  forever." 

"  Is  there  no  hope  for  him?  " 

"  None,  unless  he  can  find  a  true  heart  to  love  him." 

"  I  love  him,  and  I  wish  I  could  release  him." 

"  But  you  have  not  a  true  heart." 

"Why?" 

"  No  one  has." 

"  Did  you  ever  know  me  to  be  untrue?" 

"  No." 

"  A  heart  governed  in  all  things  by  a  sense  of  right  cannot  be  untrue." 

"  But  how  about  your  lover,  young  Eric?  " 

"  He  may  love  me,  but  I  only  respect  him.  I  do  not  return  his  love,  and  1 
have  told  him  so,  although  it  has  cost  me  nights  of  pain.  Is  not  that  being  true  ?  " 

"And  cruel?" 

"  No.  Eric  has  worth,  but  it  is  not  destined  for  me.  I  have  told  him  the 
truth." 

Vanderdecken,  on  entering  the  Norwegian  port,  found  another  ship  there 
which  had  just  come  in  from  the  seas.  It  was  Daland's.  The  two  captains 
made  each  other's  acquaintance,  and  Daland  invited  Vanderdecken  to  share  the 
hospitalities  of  his  home. 

So  far  in  the  story  we  have  followed  the  old  sailor's  legend  and 
Heine's  variations  and  the  old  London  play,  and  made  some  colorings 
of  our  own ;  we  will  now  follow  Wagner,  which  seems  destined  to 
become  the  popular  evolution  of  the  story. 

At  the  time  that  Vanderdecken  enters  the  Norwegian  port,  Wagner's 
musical  version  of  the  story  represents  Senta  as  spinning  among  her  maidens 
and  singing  to  them  the  following  song,  — 


JAVA,   AND   THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN.  245 

"  Yo-ho-ho  !     Yo-ho-ho-ho  !     Yo-ho-ho  !     Yo-ho  ! 
A  ship  the  restless  ocean  sweeps  ; 
Blood-red  her  sails,  and  black  her  masts  ; 
Her  spectral  captain  never  sleeps, 
But  watchful  glances  round  him  casts. 
Hui !     The  wind  is  shrill !     Yo-ho-he  !     Yo-ho-he  f 
Hui  !     The  wind  is  shrill !     Yo-ho-he  !     Yo-ho-he  ! 
Hui !     Like  an  arrow  he  flies,  without  aim,  without  rest,  without  end. 
Yet  this  the  spectral  man  from  his  lifelong  curse  may  deliver, 
Find  he  a  maiden,  faithful  and  true,  to  love  him  forever. 
Ah!  mightest  thou,  spectral  seaman,  but  find  her  ! 
Pray  ye,  that  heaven  may  soon 
At  his  need  grant  him  this  boon. 

"  Against  a  tempest's  utmost  wrath, 
Around  a  cape  he  once  would  sail ; 
He  cursed  and  swore  a  foolish  oath  : 
'  Befall  what  may,  I  will  prevail ! ' 
Hui !     And  Satan  heard  !     Yo-ho-he  .' 
Hui  !     He  marked  his  word, 

And  condemned  him  to  sail  on  the  sea,  without  aim,  without  end. 
Yet  this  the  wretched  man  from  his  lifelong  curse  may  deliver, 
Would  but  an  angel  show  him  the  way  his  bondage  to  sever. 
Ah  !  mightest  thou,  spectral  seaman,  but  find  it ! 
Pray  ye  that  heaven  may  soon 
At  his  need  grant  him  this  boon ! 
He  lands  at  every  seven  years'  end  ; 
A  wife  to  seek,  he  wanders  round  ; 
But  wheresoe'er  he  bends 
For  him  no  faithful  wife  is  found. 
Hui !     '  Unfurl  the  sails  ! '     Yo-ho-he  f 
Hui !     '  The  anchor  weighed  ! '     Yo-ho-he  ! 
Hui !     '  Faithless  love,  faithless  troth  ! 
To  the  sea,  without  aim,  without  end  ! ' " 


While  the  beautiful  Senta  was  singing  this  song,  Eric,  her  lover,  saw  her 
father's  sail  coming  into  port,  and  hastened  to  her  to  tell  her  the  joyful  news. 
She  awaited  her  father  with  a  thrill  of  unusual  expectation  and  joy.  She  saw 
him  approach  the  house,  when,  lo !  a  stranger  came  with  him. 

But  Eric,  before  Daland's  arrival,  has  pressed  his  suit  and  asked  Senta  for 
her  heart.  She  pointed  to  the  face  of  the  Flying  Dutchman  on  the  wall,  when 
Eric  told  her  of  a  dream  that  he  has  had,  and  of  his  heart's  sorrow. 

The  stranger  was  the  Flying  Dutchman ;  and  the  wanderer  of  the  seas  knew 


246  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

the  beautiful  maiden,  and  she  knew  him,  although  they  had  never  met  before. 
Vanderdecken,  in  Wagner's  version  of  the  story,  is  made  to  say,  — 

"  Like  to  a  vision,  seen  in  days  long  by-gone, 
This  maiden's  face  and  form  appear  ; 
What  I  have  sought  thro'  countless  years  of  sorrow 
Am  I  at  last  beholding  here." 

The  Flying  Dutchman  avowed  his  love  for  Senta,  and  she  announced  her- 
self to  be  his  deliverer.  Both  were  happy. 

But  amid  the  happiness  and  hope  Eric  came  back  to  plead  once  more  with 
the  maiden.  The  interview  was  one  of  agony,  and  in  the  midst  of  it  Vander- 
decken chanced  to  come  upon  the  scene.  Seeing  the  distress  of  the  two,  he 
believed  that  Senta  was  untrue  to  him,  and  that  he  was  destined  again  to  drift 
over  the  seas. 

With  a  crushed  heart,  he  ordered  his  ship  to  sea  again,  and  the  red  sails 
went  out  with  the  tide. 

When  Senta  found  that  he  was  sailing,  she  attempted  to  follow  him.  The 
last  scene  is  like  that  of  Dido  and  yEneas.  Senta  ascended  a  high  rock,  and 
watched  the  disappearing  red  sails. 

"  I  will  die  true  to  him,"  she  said,  and  plunged  into  the  sea. 

The  spell  was  broken.  The  phantom  ship  went  down  with  a  thunder  crash, 
and  the  sailors  drifted  upon  the  sea.  The  dying  Captain  was  borne  on  the  tide 
into  the  arms  of  the  dying  Senta,  and  their  souls  entered  together  the  portals 
of  immortal  hope. 

This  is  the  version  of  the  story  that  we  like  the  best.  "  Black- 
wood's  Magazine"  for  1821  has  a  very  sensational  story  of  a  ship  meet- 
ing the  "  Flying  Dutchman  ; "  and  the  story  is  made  very  real  in 
Marryatt's  "  Phantom  Ship." 

The  evolution  of  the  story,  like  that  of  Faust,  given  in  another 
volume,  finally  saves  the  Dutchman  from  his  eternal  wanderings, 
which  is  a  very  kind  and  pleasing  end  to  all  evolutionary  stones. 

While  at  Batavia,  I  met  an  agent  of  the  International  Postal 
Union,  who  accompanied  me  to  Singapore  on  one  of  my  trips,  and 
who  offered  me  a  new  situation  in  a  company  of  which  I  had  never  so 


"  LIKE   TO   A    VISION    SEEN    IN    DAYS    LONG   BY-GONE. 


JAVA,   AND    THE  FLYING  DUTCHMAN.  249 

much  as  heard  before,  yet  by  whose  services  I,  in  common  with  most 
Americans,  had  profited. 

THE  INTERNATIONAL  POSTAL  UNION  was  its  name.  The  Company 
was  formed  in  Paris  in  1863,  when  delegates  met  for  the  purpose  from 
all  European  States,  from  the  United  States,  and  other  parts  of  the 
world.  The  Congress  recommended  the  optional  payment  of  foreign 
letters,  and  among  other  things  improvement  in  routes  of  transit  in 
new  postal  countries.  In  1874  another  Congress  met  for  the  same 
purpose  at  Berne,  with  representatives  of  350,000  people.  Under  this 
Congress's  influence  the  uniform  rate  of  five  cents  per  half-ounce  for 
foreign  letters  was  established  throughout  the  civilized  world.  At  the 
close  of  this  Congress  Dr.  Stephen,  of  Prussia,  a  leading  delegate,  said  : 

"  You  enter  upon  one  of  the  most  important  fields  of  action  in  the 
intercourse  of  nations ;  you  are  doing  a  work  of  universal  peace." 

Another  Postal  Congress  met  at  Lisbon  in  1885. 

Among  the  curious  things  discussed  here,  was  to  whom  a  letter 
belongs  during  transit.  In  Great  Britain  it  belongs  to  the  Queen ; 
in  India,  to  the  owner,  and  it  may  be  recalled  by  him  ;  in  Italy  and 
Spain,  to  the  person  addressed,  as  also  in  Canada. 

My  friend  was  employed,  under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  the 
International  Postal  Union,  in  the  improvement  of  Postal  Routes  in 
the  East.  He  offered  me  a  position  to  travel  with  him  to  Burmah,  and 
thence  inland  .at  a  salary  largely  in  advance  from  that  I  was  receiving 
from  the  East  Indian  Telegraph  Company. 

I  accepted  the  position;  and  we  went  to  Bangkok  together  on 
especial  business  there,  where  I  again  met  Ivory. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


BANGKOK   AGAIN. 

N  returning  to  Bangkok  I  found  Ivory's  mind  still 
occupied  with  the  one  subject  on  which  I  had 
heard  him  speak  so  often. 

"  If  I  could  be  given  a  mission,"  he  said,  "  it 
would  be  to  establish  Societies  for  the  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  Animals  in  other  parts  of  the 
world." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  other  parts  of  the 
world?"  I  asked. 

"  Other  than  Buddhist  countries.  Think  of  it !  fifty  millions  of 
animals  are  slaughtered  yearly  for  food,  and  many  millions  more  for 
sport ;  and  yet  the  people  live  the  longest  and  are  the  happiest  and 
have  the  fewest  diseases,  who  do  not  eat  animal  food  at  all." 

"  So  you  are  about  to  turn  Buddhist  and  a  vegetarian  ? "  I  said, 
with  a  smile. 

His  father,  who  was  present,  entered  into  the  spirit  of  my  reproach- 
ful remark. 

"  Ivory  is  so  touched  by  what  he  regards  cruelty  to  animals  in 
other  parts  of  the  world,  that  he  fails  to  see  the  cruelty  of  superstition 
to  men  and  women  and  children  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Here  is 
Bangkok,  a  paradise  of  beauty,  full  of  the  most  inhuman  practices 
growing  out  of  old  superstition,  and  only  Christianity  can  remove 
these  evils;  yet  he  is  giving  his  heart  and  thoughts  merely  to  the 
animal  kingdom,  and  that  as  found  in  Christian  countries.  Yesterday 


BANGKOK  AGAIN. 


25' 


he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  Boston,  and  sent  a  pound  in  behalf  of 
a  Coachmen's  Humane  Association,  which  is  about  to  be  formed  in 
that  city  of  many  ideas.  I  reproved  him,  for  I  felt  that  his  money 
was  needed  here  to  enlighten  the  suffering  poor  and  relieve  them 
from  idolatrous  habits  that  hold  them  as  if  in  chains.  Why,  one  day 
when  I  was  in  Laos,  I  saw  a  scorpion  suddenly  bite  an  innocent  child. 


"  MANY    MILLIONS    MOKE   FOR    SPORT.'' 

and  the  mother  of  the  child  brush  the  scorpion  gently  away  with  a 
stick.  The  child  went  into  convulsions  and  died;  and  the  mother, 
amid  her  lamentations,  expressed  a  wish  that  the  scorpion  might  be 
reborn  in  the  form  of  some  higher  animal.  To  her  it  was  the  sin  of 
some  dead  ancestor  that  made  the  scorpion  a  scorpion." 

"  But,  father,  each  one  is  born  for  some  special  good  work  in  the 


252  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

world.  It  is  your  call  to  help  these  poor  people  into  a  better  life,  and 
to  preach  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  But  there  is  another  impulse 
in  me;  ought  I  not  to  follow  my  own  heart  in  the  best  work  that 
moves  it?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  Ivory ;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  one  should  do  the 
work  of  humanity  first." 

"  But  the  Hebrew  Law  gives  regarded  justice  to  the  animal  world 
as  one  of  the  works  of  humanity.  Think  of  the  bird's-nest  command- 
ment, and  the  Hebrew  injunction  that  the  ox  should  not  be  muzzled 
when  treading  out  the  grain." 

Ivory's  father  looked  puzzled.  A  telegrapher  was  with  us,  and 
he  remarked  laughingly, — 

"  Ivory  will  never  be  likely  to  harm  any  very  large  animal,  unless 
his  looks  belie  him.  His  legs  would  do  him  good  service  if  he  were 
to  meet  any  animal  larger  than  a  cat." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  ?  "  asked  Ivory's  father. 

"  Why  ?     Because  I  've  seen  him  run  from  a  jackal." 

"  I  think  the  boy  in  the  face  of  actual  danger  would  develop  more 
courage  than  you  give  him  credit  for.  In  the  words  of  an  American 
poet,  '  Th£  tenderest  are  the  bravest,'  and  '  The  loving  are  the 
daring.'" 

Siam  and  Laos,  like  the  land  of  Sind,  are  filled  with  beautiful 
stories  of  the  friendships  of  men  and  animals.  One  charming  feature 
of  these  stories  is  that  the  animals  are  supposed  to  possess  instincts 
that  make  them  wiser  than  men. 


THE  BLIND  MAN,  THE  DEAE  MAN,  AND  THEIR  FRIEND 

THE  DONKEY. 

There  was  once  a  Blind  Man. 
And  a  Deaf  Man. 

Said  the  Deaf  Man  to  the  Blind  Man,  "  Let  us  be  friends.     I  will  be  eyes 
for  you,  and  you  shall  be  ears  for  me." 


BANGKOK  AGAIN. 


255 


So  they  adopted  each  other  as  brothers,  and  both  now  had  eyes  and  ears. 
They  went  to  a  dance  together. 

Said  the  Blind  Man,  "  The  music  is  good,  but  the  dancing  is  poor." 
Said  the  Deaf  Man,  "  The  dancing  is  good,  but  the  music  is  poor." 
When  they  rested  and  described  what  one  had  heard  and  the  other  had 
seen,  they  agreed  that  both  the  music  and  the  dancing  were  good. 
It  is  good  to  have  friends. 

The  two  started  on  a  journey.     On  their  way  they  met  a  forlorn  Donkey. 
"  It  is  good  to  have  friends,"  said  the  Deaf  Man.     "  Here  is  a  poor  outcast 

Donkey;  let  us  take  him  along,  it  may  be 
he  will  do  us  good.  It  always  pays  to  be 
friendly." 

So  the  three  became  friends. 
They  came  to  an  ant-hill. 
Said  the  Deaf   Man,    "  Here    are    some 
wonderful  ants,  the  largest  that  I  ever  saw. 
Let  us  take   some   of  them    along  with    us 
to  show  to  the  friends  we   meet." 
"  Very  well,"  said  the  Blind  Man. 
So  the  Deaf  Man  put  some  of  the  ants 
into  a  silver  snuff-box,  and   the   three  con- 
tinued on  their  journey. 

There  arose  a  fearful  storm. 
"  The  lightning  is  dreadful,"  said  the  Deaf 
Man. 


'THEY    MET    A   FORLORN    DONKEY.' 


"  The  thunder  is  awful,"  said  the  Blind  Man. 

"  Where  shall  we  go?  "  said  both. 

There  rose  before  them  the  shadow  as  of  a  mighty  temple.  The  Deaf  Man 
saw  it. 

"  There  is  a  great  building  close  at  hand,"  said  the  Deaf  Man. 

"  Let  us  go  in,"  said  the  Blind  Man. 

And  the  Donkey  did  not  say  nay ;  so  the  three  went  into  the  grand  build- 
ing out  of  the  rain. 

Now,  the  building  was  not  a  temple,  but  the  palace  of  a  Rakshas. 

A  Rakshas  is  a  monster,  with  an  evil  spirit,  that  feeds  upon  men. 

Hardly  had  the  three  friendly  travellers  got  inside  the  palace  and  shut  the 
door,  when  the  Rakshas  came  home  and  hurried  to  the  door  to  get  away  from 
the  storm. 

To  his  surprise  he  found  the  door  fastened. 


256  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE    ANTIPODES, 

"  Ho,  ho  !  "  he  said.     "  Who  is  there?  " 

11  Ho,  ho  !  "  said  the  Blind  Man.     "  Who  is  there  ?  " 

"  The  Rakshas." 

Then  he  roared  like  thunder;   for  the  Rakshases  have  terrible  voices. 

The  Deaf  Man  peeped  through  the  window,  and  began  to  tremble  when  he 
saw  the  Rakshas.  But  the  Blind  Man  was  very  brave. 

"  Ho,  ho  !  "  again  cried  the  Evil  Spirit.  "  Let  me  into  my  house  at  once. 
Let  me  in,  I  say." 

Then  he  roared  again.     But  the  Deaf  Man  did  not  hear  him. 

Then  said  the  Blind  Man,  "  Go  away,  and  leave  us  alone.  I  do  not  think 
that  you  know  who  I  am." 

"  Who  are  you?"  roared  the  Rakshas. 

"  I  am  a  Bakshas." 

"  A  Bakshas  !     What  is  that?  " 

"  It  is  something  very  terrible." 

"  Nonsense !     There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  Bakshas." 

Nor  was  there. 

"  Let  me  see  you,"  said  the  Rakshas.     "  You  are  deceiving  me." 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  said  the  Blind  Man. 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  said  the  Deaf  Man. 

"  I  have  it,"  said  the  Deaf  Man.  Show  him  the  head  of  the  Donkey.  How 
good  it  is  to  have  a  friend !  Every  friend  helps  sometime  or  somewhere." 

So  the  Deaf  Man  opened  the  window  a  little,  and  pushed  the  Donkey  up 
to  it,  and  caused  the  animal  to  show  his  head. 

"  Heavens  and  earth !  "  said  the  Rakshas.     "  A  Bakshas  is  awful,  indeed." 

"  Awful,  indeed,"  said  the  Blind  Man. 

"  Does  a  Bakshas  roar  like  a  Rakshas?  "  asked  the  monster. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Blind  Man;  "  his  voice  chills  all  who  hear  it.  The  second 
time  he  roars  men  drop  dead." 

"  Let  me  hear  you  roar  once,"  said  the  Rakshas. 

The  Deaf  Man  here  took  out  the  silver  snuff-box  of  ants,  and  put  an  ant 
into  the  ear  of  the  Donkey. 

"  Eh  augh !  eh  augh  !  /  eh  augh  !  augh  !  augh  !  "  roared  the  Donkey. 

"  Run,"  said  the  Blind  Man,  "  or  he  will  roar  again." 

"  Heavens  and  earth !  "  said  the  Rakshas,  beginning  to  run  with  his  fingers 
in  his  ears. 

The  three  spent  the  night  in  the  palace.  In  the  morning  the  Blind  Man 
said  to  the  Deaf  Man,  "  What  do  you  see?  " 

"  The  palace  is  full  of  gold." 


3 

- 

g 

- 


BANGKOK  AGAIN. 


259 


"  Load  the  Donkey  with  it" 

So  the  two  loaded  the  Donkey  with  as  much  gold  as  he  could  carry  and 
started  for  home. 

The  three  lived  happily  together  for  many  years,  each  helping  the  others. 
It  is  good  to  have  friends. 


THE   IDOL-MAKER'S   DAUGHTER. 

MRS.    LEONOWENS,    IN   THE    "YOUTH'S   COMPANION,"   BY    PERMISSION. 

After  that  of  the  royal  barber,  who  is  privileged  to  shave,  consequently 
touch,  the  heads  of  kings  and  princes,  the  most  honorable  profession  in  Siam  is 
that  of  an  idol-maker. 

This  latter  profession  is  held  in  superstitious  reverence.  Very  few  young 
persons  embrace  it,  because  of  a  dread  of  incurring  the  vengeance  of  the  gods 
they  manufacture,  should  they  at  any  time  happen  to  disgrace  by  the  smallest 
fault  their  holy  profession. 

In  order  to  embrace  the  profession  of  making  idols  for  the  temples  of  Siam, 
three  things  are  requisite.  The  man  must  know  the  three  most  sacred  books  of 
the  Buddhists.  He  must  have  entered  the  priesthood  at  some  period  of  his  life. 
He  must  be  an  unmarried  man  at  the  time  of  undertaking  the  work,  and  must 
remain  unmarried  so  long  as  he  continues  to  manufacture  idols. 

In  addition  to  these  requirements,  if  the  first  idol  he  moulds  and  puts  into 
the  kiln  to  bake  should  have  any  crack  in   it  when  it  is  taken  out.  —  and  this 
often  happens  from  the  heat  of  the  kiln  into  which  the  image  is  put  to  bake,  — 
the  man  must  not  enter  the  profession,  for  this  is  regarded  as  a  sign  of  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  gods  against  him. 

Taking  these  things  into  consideration,  the  profession  is  entered  under 
many  difficulties,  and  is  therefore  generally  taken  up  by  old  men,  widowers, 
ex-priests,  or  perhaps  some  devotee,  who  has  become  disgusted  with  life,  and 
takes  refuge  in  this  occupation  as  a  meritorious  one,  that  will  give  admittance 
into  another  and  better  life  after  death. 

With  this  brief  explanation,  I  must  introduce  my  young  readers  to  Phra 
Khoon  Visatt,  the  royal  idol-maker  of  Bangkok,  and  his  daughter  Champoo. 

His  house,  or  workshop,  was  situated  immediately  behind  our  home  in 
Bangkok,  so  that  he  was  my  next-door  neighbor.  It  was  a  large  circular  shed, 
walled  all  round  with  a  mud-plastered  bamboo  fence,  and  open  to  the  sky.  A 
brick  kiln  stood  in  the  middle  of  it,  and  two  or  three  covered  partitions,  that 
served  him  for  his  humble  sleeping-room  and  kitchen.  Here  Phra  Khoon 


260 


ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


Visatt  lived  and  worked  alone,  modelling  and  baking  clay  idols  without  num- 
ber, presenting  them  to  the  king  for  his  innumerable  temples,  refusing  all 
reward,  in  the  hope  of  reaping  a  rich  one  in  the  life  to  come. 

He  was  a  widower  with  one  daughter.  As  he  was  too  poor  to  clothe  and 
feed  her,  she  lived  with  her  uncle,  in  a  rather  large  and  pretentious  dwelling 
close  by.  She  visited  her  father  every  day,  and  sometimes  cooked  his  food  for 
him,  when  he  happened  to  be  sick,  or  was  too  weary  to  do  it  for  himself.  And 

so  far  as  I  could  see,  there  seemed  to 
be  deep  affection  in  the  heart  of  this 
lonely  old  maker  of  idols  for  his  gay 
and  light-headed  daughter. 

I  do  not  remember  the  precise  date 
of  the  first  awakening  of  my  interest  in 
my  strange  pagan  neighbor.  I  had 
watched  him  for  a  long  time  from  my 
upper  veranda.  From  that  position  I 
could  look  down  into  his  workshop,  and 
see  him  modelling  the  wet  clay.  There, 
day  after  day,  he  worked,  fashioning 
from  the  plastic  material  the  same  eter- 
nal figure  of  the  Buddha,  —  the  likeness 
of  a  stolid,  indifferent-looking  man,  in  a 
sitting  posture,  his  eyes  closed,  his  legs 
crossed,  and  his  hands  resting  calmly 
upon  each  knee.  Sometimes  I  saw  him 
at  prayer,  kneeling  in  his  workshop  be- 
fore his  newly  formed  idol,  his  pale,  hag- 
gard face  turned  up  to  the  blue  sky, 

while  he  implored  his  god  to  be  beneficent  to  him,  and  not  crack  the  moment 
he  put  it  in  the  kiln  to  bake. 

Sometimes  his  daughter  would  come  into  his  workshop  unannounced. 
Finding  him  on  his  knees,  she  would  bend  down  for  a  few  minutes  beside  him. 
Then  she  would  jump  up  and  betake  herself  to  all  kinds  of  merry-making. 

Round  and  round  the  shed  she  would  dance,  in  the  presence  of  the  solemn 
idols  that  were  waiting  their  turn  to  be  baked,  singing  funny  songs.  Taking 
cards  from  her  vest,  she  would  throw  them  down  on  the  ground  and  perform 
certain  tricks  which  seemed  to  give  her  infinite  satisfaction,  for  she  would  laugh 
loudly  over  them.  This  light-headedness  the  idol-maker  seemed  to  permit 
rather  than  to  enjoy. 


IDOL   OF   THE   GOD   OF   WISDOM. 


BANGKOK  AGAIN. 


26l 


But  I  noticed  that  his  face  brightened  when  she  was  by,  that  his  eyes  lin- 
gered fondly  over  her  face,  and  it  was  always  full  of  the  tenderest  affection. 

It  was  on  a  bright  Christmas  day  that  I  carried  my  neighbor,  Phra  Khoon 
Visatt,  a  little  present  for  his  gay  young  daughter.  It  consisted  of  a  red  cotton 


'THE   SAME    ETERNAL    FIGURE   OF    BUDDHA. 


handkerchief,  of  Malay  manufacture,  which  the  Siamese  women  are  very  fond 
of  holding  in  their  hands  when  dressed  in  holiday  attire,  and  which  I  thought 
would  please  the  father's  heart  more  than  any  gift  for  himself. 

Thus  it  happened  that  on  that  memorable  day,  sacred  to  us  as  the  anniver- 


262  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

sary  of  our  dear  Saviour's  birth,  the  25th  of  December,  1864,  I  stood  for  the 
first  time  before  the  door  of  the  idol- maker's  workshop,  with  the  little  gift  in 
my  hand,  and  knocked  for  admittance. 

In  an  instant  the  door  was  opened,  and  I  stood  face  to  face  with  my  neigh- 
bor. He  was  a  pale,  emaciated-looking  man,  with  sunken  cheeks  and  deep-set 
eyes.  He  seemed  almost  ready  to  drop  into  the  grave,  but,  supporting  himself 
against  the  open  door,  smiled  kindly  upon  me,  and  inquired  my  business  with 
him. 

"  Business  I  have  none,"  said  I ;  "  but  I  have  brought  you  a  little  present 
for  the  pretty,  gay  young  woman  who  visits  you  every  day.  This  is  my  great 
day,  the  day  on  which  my  Divine  teacher  was  born,  and  it  is  our  custom  to 
show  our  love  for  Him  by  making  little  gifts  to  our  friends ;  and  as  you  are  my 
next-door  neighbor,  you  must  let  me  include  you  too  among  my  friends." 

It  was  a  long  speech  for  me  to  make  in  Siamese,  but  he  seemed  to  under- 
stand me  fully.  He  took  the  little  package  which  I  held  out  to  him,  smiling  at 
me  and  looking  wistfully  into  my  face  with  his  deep-sunken  eyes,  as  if  he 
hardly  knew  what  to  say. 

At  length  he  said  very  slowly,  and  with  some  hesitation,  "  I  am  very  sorry 
at  my  heart  because  I  cannot  ask  you  into  my  workshop.  But  this  is  a  sacred 
place,  and  you  have  shoes  on  your  feet,  and  altogether  I  am  afraid  lest  my  god 
would  be  offended  with  me,  and  then  I  would  lose  all  the  merit  I  have  been 
making  these  many  years.  But  I  thank  you  for  your  gift,  very,  very  much  in 
his  name,  and  in  my  dear  daughter  Champoo's  too." 

He  looked  anxiously  at  me  after  saying  this,  fearing  lest  I  should  be 
offended,  adding,  "  I  never  allow  any  one  but  my  daughter  to  come  in  here, 
lest  I  should  incur  the  anger  of  my  god  in  any  way." 

I  could  not  tell  him  that  he  was  right,  but  I  said,  "  I  hope  you  will  soon  be 
better,  and  if  I  can  do  anything  for  you,  let  me  know,  because  it  will  give  me 
pleasure  to  do  it;"  and  I  came  home  again. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  as  I  was  seated  in  my  veranda,  I  saw 
Champoo  enter  the  workshop,  and  I  had  the  curiosity  to  watch  father  and 
daughter. 

The  idol-maker  was  in  the  very  act  of  moulding  one  of  his  images  on  a 
long  plank  or  board.  His  hands  were  smeared  with  clay. 

The  daughter  entered  and  sat  down  beside  him,  looking  rather  graver  and 
quieter  than  usual.  After  a  little  while  he  put  away  his  work,  washed  his 
hands,  and  with  a  smile  on  his  face  drew  from  his  pocket  my  little  gift,  and 
held  it  up  before  her. 

The  girl  gave  a  quick,  glad   cry,  snatched   it  out  of  his  hand   with  one 


I 


BOTH    GIRLS    WERE   LAUGHING    AND   SHRIEKING,    AND   MAKING    MERRY   OVEI 


BANGKOK  AGAIN.  265 

sudden  pull,  and  without  giving  him  time,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  to  say  a  single 
word,  bounded  out  of  the  workshop  with  it. 

I  followed  her  with  my  eyes  as  far  as  I  could  see  her.  Away  she  flew, 
fluttering  the  gay  handkerchief  before  her,  till  she  entered  her  uncle's  house 
and  passed  from  my  sight. 

I  turned  to  look  at  the  poor,  lone  idol-maker.  He  was  at  work  again, 
moulding  the  plastic  clay  into  the  same  old  form ;  and  I  could  not  tell  whether 
he  resented  his  daughter's  conduct,  or  whether  he  was  so  accustomed  to  such 
acts  from  her  that  he  did  not  heed  them. 

Whatever  he  may  have  felt,  I  must  confess  that  there  arose  great  pity  in 
my  heart  for  the  lonely  old  man,  mingled  with  a  painful  sense  of  my  own 
inability  to  do  anything  to  make  his  life  any  happier  or  better. 

One  Sunday  morning,  about  six  weeks  more  or  less  after  this  event,  I  heard 
a  piercing  cry  issuing  from  the  workshop.  The  voice  was  that  of  a  young  girl, 
shrieking  out  the  words, — 

"  Phoa,  phoa,  phut  chau  thort !  phut  chau  thort !  "  (Father,  father,  please 
speak  to  me  !  please  speak  to  me  !) 

I  rushed  to  my  place  of  outlook  in  the  upper  veranda.  The  poor  idol- 
maker  was  stretched  on  the  floor.  His  daughter  was  holding  his  head,  gazing 
wildly  into  his  face,  and  uttering  every  now  and  then  the  piercing  cries  I 
had  heard. 

He  was  evidently  in  a  fainting-fit.  I  rushed  to  my  closet,  drew  out  from 
it  a  bottle  of  camphor,  some  wine  and  cologne,  ran  downstairs,  and  round 
the  yard  to  the  workshop,  and  was  soon  kneeling  beside  the  fainting 
man. 

There  he  lay  on  the  bare  ground,  his  face  turned  up  to  the  sky,  his  eyes 
fixed,  his  hands  clasped  as  if  in  prayer  or  supplication,  at  the  feet  of  a  great 
clay  idol  of  Buddha,  which  must  have  been  recently  drawn  out  of  the  kiln,  and 
which  was  cracked  through  and  through  from  head  to  foot. 

Crushed  by  the  sight  of  what  he  considered  his  god's  displeasure,  feeling 
that  he  had  forfeited  all  his  years  of  patient,  unremitting  labor,  and  worn  out  at 
the  same  time  with  his  fasting  and  generally  failing  health,  he  had  fallen  into 
the  swoon  in  which  his  daughter  found  him. 

His  heart  still  throbbed,  and  there  was  a  faint  gurgling  sound  in  his  throat. 
I  sat  down  beside  him,  and  rubbed  the  camphor  to  his  hands  and  feet,  poured 
wine  down  his  throat,  applied  the  camphor-bottle  to  his  nostrils.  It  was  all  in 
vain.  There  on  the  very  spot  where  Phra  Rhoon  Visatt  had  sat  and  worked 
and  prayed  and  moulded,  year  in  and  year  out,  clay  images  of  his  god,  some  to 
be  overlaid  with  gold,  others  with  silver,  —  there  he  gave  up  the  last  struggling 


266  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

breath  of  his  poor  frail  body.  In  twenty  minutes  after  I  had  entered  the  work- 
shop, he  was  dead. 

When  this  sad  fact  dawned  upon  his  daughter's  mind,  she  put  her  mouth 
to  his  deaf  ears,  and  began  to  shout  to  the  soul  who  once  so  gladly  heard  her 
voice  through  them, — 

"  Phoa,  pi  savang  nah  !  Phoa,  pi  savang  nah  !  "  (Father,  be  sure  and  go  to 
heaven !  Father,  be  sure  and  go  to  heaven !  ) 

I  vainly  tried  to  comfort  the  poor  girl ;  but  as  some  strangers  had  now 
entered  the  workshop,  attracted  by  her  cries,  I  rose  and  left,  feeling  sad  and 
sorrowful  enough  that  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  done.  After  breakfast,  I 
once  more  looked  down  into  the  workshop,  and  saw  there  a  sight  which  I  shall 
never  forget. 

The  dead  man  was  lying  just  where  he  had  died.  The  strangers,  whoever 
they  were,  had  all  gone,  and  Champoo  and  a  slave  girl  were  scraping  the  clay 
from  the  board  on  which  the  idol-maker  moulded  his  images.  A  long  earth- 
worm had  crawled  out  of  the  clay,  and  both  girls  were  laughing  and  shrieking, 
and  making  merry  over  their  work. 

I  could  hardly  believe  my  senses.  At  last  they  cleansed  the  board,  and 
laid  a  mat  on  it;  and,  taking  up  the  dead  man,  Champoo  holding  his  head,  and 
the  slave  girl  his  feet,  they  lifted  him  as  easily  as  if  he  were  a  child,  and  laid 
him  on  it. 

Then  they  both  went  off.  Presently  they  returned,  bringing  with  them 
some  palm-branches  and  some  oleander  flowers  to  deck  his  bier.  This  done, 
to  my  utter  surprise,  once  more  Champoo  sat  down  beside  him  and  began  to 
howl  and  cry,  striking  her  breast  and  screaming, — 

"  Oh,  my  father,  my  father !  why  did  you  die?  " 

I  did  not  know  what  to  make  of  the  girl,  at  one  time  so  loving  and  tender, 
and  at  another  so  hard  and  heartless. 

That  very  afternoon,  my  maid  announced  some  Siamese  ladies  as  visitors. 
Before  I  had  time  to  decline  seeing  them,  in  walked  Champoo,  with  three  other 
girls.  They  bore  a  tray,  upon  which  was  some  fruit  sent  in  by  her  uncle. 

This  she  handed  to  me,  and  said,  "  Lady,  will  you  please  give  me  a  long 
piece  of  muslin  to  wrap  round  my  father's  body  when  he  is  carried  to  be 
burned?  It  was  his  wish  that  no  one  should  touch  him  after  death  but  me, 
and  I  want  to  do  everything  nicely." 

I  was  just  in  the  act  of  undressing  to  take  my  afternoon  bath,  and  had 
deposited  my  rings  in  a  little  tray  on  my  toilet-table,  where  I  left  her  standing, 
and  turned  to  seek  the  muslin  she  needed  in  a  closet  adjoining. 

She  was  delighted  with  my  gift.     I  gave  her  a  long  strip,  for  she  wished  to 


BANGKOK  AGAIN.  269 

have  some  part  of  it  placed  over  her  dead  father's  face,  so  that  the  flies  might 
not  alight  on  it  as  it  was  being  carried  to  the  cremation  grounds.  Then  she 
went  away. 

That  evening,  as  the  men  came  to  carry  off  the  poor  idol-maker's  body  to 
be  burned,  I  and  my  boy  followed  it.  There  were  a  few  mourners,  the  chief 
among  whom  was  Champoo,  howling,  throwing  dust  over  her  head,  and  beating 
her  breast. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  cremation  grounds,  they  laid  the  dead  body  on  a 
low  wood  pyre.  Two  Buddhist  priests  poured  some  oil  over  it,  chanting  funereal 
dirges  all  the  while.  Then  Champoo  was  handed  a  torchlight.  With  it  she 
ignited  the  wood ;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  whole  pyre  was  blazing,  crackling, 
and  consuming  the  last  remains  of  that  poor  hopeless  maker  of  idols. 

I  left  them  at  their  fiery  work,  and  returned  home  sickened  and  dispirited. 
It  was  already  evening.  The  sun  had  set  in  great  beauty.  Not  a  sound  was 
heard  ;  not  an  object  was  moving  anywhere. 

My  boy  and  I  passed  on  to  the  little  canal  that  ran  behind  our  house.  The 
plumes  of  the  palm-trees  hung  still  and  motionless,  as  if  mourning  for  the  de- 
parture of  the  bright  god  of  day ;  and  I  sorrowed,  almost  unconsciously,  for  my 
dead  neighbor. 

We  walked  by  the  canal,  and  found  some  distraction  in  watching  the  gliding 
canoes.  Suddenly  feeling  my  hand,  my  boy  said,  "  Mamma,  where  are  your 
rings?  " 

"  I  must  have  forgotten  to  put  them  on,  Louis,"  said  I.  "They  are  on  my 
toilet-table." 

When  we  returned  home,  I  went  to  my  table.  My  rings  were  not  on  it. 
Neither  could  I  find  them  in  the  room,  though  I  remembered  taking  them  off 
that  very  afternoon  in  the  presence  of  Champoo. 

I  searched,  questioned  my  servants,  but  in  vain.  Every  one  declared  that 
no  person  could  have  taken  them  but  one  of  the  girls  who  had  entered  my 
chamber  that  day.  I  did  not  know  what  to  think  ;  but,  to  satisfy  my  servants, 
I  sent  one  of  them,  accompanied  by  my  boy,  to  inquire  if  Champoo  had  taken 
the  rings,  and  if  so  to  beg  of  her  to  return  them. 

In  a  short  space  of  time  Champoo,  followed  by  my  son  and  servant,  stood 
before  me.  She  was  in  a  wild  state  of  excitement.  She  said,  "  Oh,  lady,  how 
can  you  have  the  heart  to  accuse  me  of  taking  your  rings,  when  you  must  have 
lost  them  yourself?  " 

"  I  do  not  accuse  you,  Champoo,"  said  I,  very  gently.  "  I  do  not  know 
what  to  think.  My  servants  are  honest.  No  persons  have  entered  the  house 
to-day  save  you  and  your  slaves.  Perhaps  one  of  them  may  have  taken  the  rings." 


270  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Champoo,  looking  highly  offended,  and  making  me 
feel  very  guilty  because  of  my  seeming  unjust  suspicions ;  "  my  slaves  are  no 
thieves!  You  have  lost  them  yourself!"  and  she  marched  up  and  down  the 
room. 

Just  then  we  heard  the  click  of  something  falling  on  the  marble  floor;  and 
there,  right  in  front  of  me,  lay  one  of  my  missing  rings.  I  stooped  and  picked 
it  up. 

"  That  is  the  way,"  said  the  girl,  taking  another  turn,  "  that  you  drop  your 
things  around." 

Presently  another  click  on  the  polished  floor,  and  my  second  ring  was  seen 
and  picked  up.  After  this,  Champoo  turned  to  go  away.  I  was  so  pained  and 
surprised  that  I  had  lost  all  power  of  speech.  Just  then  my  boy  ran  up  to  me 
and  said,  — 

"  Mamma,  don't  you  see  that  the  other  ring  is  in  her  closed  hand?  Make 
her  give  it  up !  " 

Hardly  knowing  what  I  was  doing,  I  went  up  to  Champoo,  and,  taking  her 
closed  hand  in  mine,  was  going  to  remonstrate  with  her ;  but  before  I  could  say 
a  word,  she  opened  her  palm,  and  there  was  my  third  missing  ring  lying  in  it. 

I  was  so  shocked,  thinking  of  her  lately  dead  father,  that  I  could  not  speak. 
Finally,  I  stammered,  "  Cham  —  Champoo,  did  you  - —  did  you  take  those  rings 
from  my  table,  or  was  it  one  of  your  slaves  who  did  it?  " 

"  Why,"  said  Champoo,  laughing  merrily,  "  I  took  them  under  your  very 
nose,  and  you  were  such  a  goose  you  did  not  see  me  doing  it!  " 

With  that  she  handed  me  the  ring,  and,  jerking  herself  away  from  my  grasp, 
left  me  more  puzzled  and  grieved  than  I  can  well  express. 

But  after  a  day  or  two  had  passed,  I  remembered  that  this  habit  of  pilfering 
was  the  chief  failing  of  the  Siamese.  So  I  determined  to  treat  Champoo  just 
the  same  as  ever,  if  she  should  need  my  help  and  come  to  me  for  it. 

Full  eighteen  months  passed.  In  that  time  I  had  often  thought  of  Cham- 
poo, and  wondered  where  she  was.  One  afternoon  I  thought  I  saw  a  young 
woman  coming  towards  my  house.  She  looked  like  Champoo.  There  was  a 
baby  in  her  arms.  I  looked  again,  and  found  that  it  was  my  wayward  friend, 
the  idol-maker's  daughter.  ' 

When  she  saw  me  smiling  at  her  from  the  dining-room  in  which  I  was 
seated,  she  ran  up  to  me,  and,  putting  the  baby  in  my  arms,  fell  down  at  my 
feet,  took  hold  of  them,  and  burst  into  a  loud  passion  of  tears  and  sobs,  which 
brought  the  tears  to  my  eyes. 

Stooping  over  her,  I  lifted  her  up,  wiped  her  eyes,  told  her  how  glad  I  was 
to  see  her,  and  inquired  the  nature  of  her  new  trouble. 


MAULMAIN. 


271 


"  Oh,  lady,"  said  Champoo,  still  sobbing  and  speaking  in  spite  of  them,  "  I 
have  no  more  troubles,  I  am  very  happy.  I  am  married  to  a  very  good  man, 
who  loved  my  poor  father  very  much,  and  I  am  growing  good  too.  My  baby 
is  making  me  good,  he  is  so  dear  and  precious.  I  wanted  to  come  and  tell 
you  that  I  am  sorry,  oh,  so  sorry,  that  I  did  not  do  more  for  my  poor,  kind 
father!  " 

Here  she  burst  into  fresh  loud  sobs.  In  a  moment  she  said,  "  Now  that  I 
am  a  mother,  and  look  into  my  little  baby's  face,  I  know,  alas !  how  my  poor 
father  loved  me,  and  how  he  must  have  cared  for  me.  My  mother  died  the 
day  after  I  was  born,  and  he  was  b^oth  father  and  mother  to  me,  until  he  began 
to  work  for  the  future  life  in  making  those  idols.  I  have  been  very  wicked. 
But  oh,  please  love  me  a  little,  and  help  me  to  be  good  !  " 

With  Champoo's  arms  round  my  neck,  and  her  little  boy  in  my  lap,  we 
made  a  new  promise  of  friendship,  which  we  kept  to  the  day  of  my  leaving 
Bangkok,  and  which  I  believe  still  binds  her  to  me,  though  we  are  separated 
by  wide  seas,  and  wider  customs  and  religions. 

Still  she  was  changed  into  a  good,  tender,  and  gentle  mother  and  wife, 
always  doing  her  duty,  and  trying,  as  she  said,  "  to  grow  good."  Her  better 
nature  had  triumphed  at  last  in  the  clear  light  of  a  mother's  love  and  its  sweet 
responsibilities. 

TO    MAULMAIN. 

My  new  duties  led  me  to  go  next  to  Maulmain.  Ivory  went  with 
me.  We  journeyed  with  a  party  of  telegraphers  and  railroad  section 
men,  going  up  the  Meinam,  and  crossing  the  mountains,  —  a  delightful 
journey  through  a  wonderland  of  primitive  races,  interesting  animals, 
gay  birds,  and  beautiful  flowers. 

The  kingdom  of  Siam  stretches  from  about  the  fourth  to  the  twen- 

O 

tieth  degree  of  latitude,  and  is  about  twelve  hundred  miles  long, 
scarcely  more  than  the  railway  journey  of  a  single  day  in  English 
lands. 

The  Meinam  is  the  great  highway  of  the  kingdom.  The  great 
plain  through  which  the  river  flows  is  overgrown  with  jungle  and 
forest.  A  mountain  wall  separates  Siam  from  Burmah. 

In   the  western  mountains   are   the    Karen    tribes,    among  whom 


272 


ZIGZAG   JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 


American  missionaries  have  labored  with  the  greatest  success.  The 
Karens  are  a  mild,  intelligent  people,  susceptible  to  good  influences 
and  having  many  wonderful  traditions.  In  the  northern  countries  of 
Siam  are  the  Laos  people,  also  amiable  and  thoughtful,  but  very  super- 
stitious. Among  them  every  house,  garden,  or  household  tree  has  its 


"IN   THE   FALL   THE   RIVER   OVERFLOWS   ITS   BANKS." 

guardian  spirit  and  to  keep  these  spirits  pleased  and  kindly  is  one  of 
the  principal  concerns  of  the  people. 

In  the  fall  the  river  overflows  its  banks.  Then  used  to  occur  one 
of  the  most  splendid  festivals  of  Siam.  When  the  river  had  risen  for 
a  certain  time,  the  King  would  command  an  hundred  Buddhist  priests 
to  go  out  on  the  water  in  grand  barges  of  state,  and  command  the 
waters  to  subside.  The  waters  always  obeyed  the  priests  after  more 
or  less  delay,  just  as  tjie  eclipse  of  the  sun  has  always  disappeared  on 
the  beating  of  Chinese  gongs. 

Our  boat  drifted  away  from  the  floating  bazaars,  palmy  gardens, 
and  golden  wats  or  pagodas ;  and  we  found  ourselves  on  the  calm 
waters  of  the  Meinam,  leaving  the  scenes  of  the  Siam  of  the  present 
for  those  of  the  dead  Siam  of  the  past.  We  took  with  us  our  bread 


MA  ULMAIN. 


273 


and  provisions.  The  air  glimmered  with  temples  or  wats,  as  the  boat 
slowly  drifted  along.  Our  first  anchorage  was  at  Kanburee.  Our 
trip  lasted  about  fifteen  days,  nearly  equally  divided  between  boats  and 
elephant  riding. 

Our  journey  on  the  elephants  was  through  silent  forests  of  cool 
bamboos.  Families  of  monkeys  were  everywhere  to  be  seen ;  and  as 
we  approached  the  Karen  country,  we  saw  many  lovely  gardens. 

My  first  ride  on  an  elephant  seemed  to  me  much  like  sailing  on  a 
heavy  sea.  It  made  me  sick.  After  a  time  I  became  used  to  it,  and 


THE  DRIVER  SAT  ON  THE  HEAD  OF  THE  ELEPHANT. 

liked  the  disposition  of  each  friendly  animal  that  I  mounted.  The 
elephant  driver  sat  on  the  head  of  the  animal,  and  assisted  him  in 
clearing  away  the  bamboos  in  the  thick  forests. 

We  arrived  at  Maulmain  early  in  December,  and  found  the  city 
greatly  excited  over  an  expected  raid  of  the  Decoits. 

18 


274  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

The  Deceits  are  the  bandits  of  Burmah.  They  are  supposed  to 
be  countenanced  by  the  Government,  and  to  gain  and  hold  the  royal 
favor  by  paying  high  taxes  into  the  royal  treasury.  They  rally  to  the 
King  in  time  of  war. 

The  Deceits  roam  the  country  in  armed  bands,  and  plunder  and 
kill  whomsoever  they  will.  Some  of  their  crimes  are  most  awful  and 
cruel,  among  them  the  burning  of  helpless  people  who  are  unable  to 
escape  from  a  house  or  village  during  an  attack.  These  victims  are 
often  old  people,  invalids,  and  children. 

As  the  Decoits  oppose  the  English  rule,  they  have  acquired  a 
certain  reputation  for  patriotism.  In  reality,  they  are  nothing  but 
robbers. 

From  Maulmain  we  journeyed  on  a  boat  towards  Rangoon. 

The  country  was  so  flat  in  some  parts  of  the  way  that  it  seemed 
hard  to  tell  which  was  the  water  or  which  was  the  land. 

We  were  now  on  the  Irravvaddy. 

At  last  a  dome  glimmered  in  the  sun.  It  looked  like  the  State 
House  dome  from  Boston  harbor.  A  Burmese  on  the  boat  saw  it, 
and  fell  upon  his  knees  and  began  counting  his  beads. 

At  every  bead  which  he  told  he  uttered  a  sentence  in  a  tone  of  the 
deepest  sadness. 

"  What  does  he  say  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  '  Vanity,  misery,  forgetful  ness,'  as  near  as  I  can  translate  it,"  said 
Ivory ;  "  he  means  that  the  world  is  full  of  vanity  and  misery,  and  that 
he  longs  for  forgetfulness.  It  is  his  prayer  for  the  bliss  of  annihi- 
lation. The  Burmese  prayer  is  for  non-existence." 

Over  and  over  it  was  repeated,  —  "  Vanity,  misery,  oblivion." 

The  dome  grew  brighter,  like  a  sun.  I  watched  it  grow  and  glow, 
while  still  sounded  in  my  ears,  "  Vanity,  misery,  oblivion." 

Rangoon  is  a  city  of  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants, 
among  whom  are  some  two  thousand  Christians.  It  is  the  stronghold 
of  Buddhism,  —  a  city  of  pagodas  and  temples  and  images 


RANGOON. 


277 


The  temple  which  we  had  seen  was  the  Golden  Dragon,  the  foun- 
dation of  which  is  said  to  have  been  laid  twenty-three  hundred  years 
ago.  It  is  a  mountain  of  masonry.  The  whole  stupendous  pyramid 
seems  to  be  overlaid  with  gold.  The  temple  is  regarded  as  especially 
sacred  from  the  fact  that  it  claims  to  contain  eight  hairs  from  the  head 
of  Gautama. 

The  country  around  Rangoon  was,  like  Maulmain,  in  a  state  of 
excitement  over  the  uprising  of  the  Deceits.  This  was  a  cause  of 
anxiety  to  us,  as  Ivory  and  two  linemen  were  commissioned  to  travel 
inland  from  the  city,  and  their  journey  would  take  them  through  some 
very  dangerous  localities. 

I  advised  the  party  not  to  go ;  but  Ivory  merely  said,  - 

"  We  have  accepted  the  work;  now  let  us  do  our  duty." 

I  still  urged  delay. 

"  I  have  no  fear,"  said  Ivory. 

"  No  fear  of  what  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Of  anything  but  wrong-doing." 

"  But  if  what  we  hear  be  true,  you  will  expose  yourself  to  death." 

"  I  do  not  fear  death,"  said  Ivory. 

"  You  long  perhaps,  like  the  Buddhist,  for  forgetfulness." 

"  No,"  said  he,  thoughtfully ;  "  my  trust  is  in  Him  who  came  to 
this  earth,  not  to  teach  oblivion,  but  that  men  might  have  life,  and 
have  it  more  abundantly." 

These  were  the  last  words  that  I  ever  heard  Ivory  utter.  In  a  few 
hours  after,  he  left  Rangoon,  and  with  a  party  of  linemen  went  into  the 
interior. 

I  was  now  indeed  in  the  Antipodes.  I  began  to  feel  at  home. 
I  had  only  to  go  down  eight  thousand  miles,  and  I  would  be  in 
America. 

The  following  narrative  is  abridged  from  a  missionary  article  by 
Rev.  W.  Bushell,  of  Maooben,  and  originally  appeared  in  the  "  Baptist 
Missionary  Magazine,"  October,  1882  (Boston). 


278  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


TRIAL   BY   THE   WATER-SPIRITS. 

Leaving  Maulmain  on  Dec.  5,  1881,  we  reached  Zimmay  on  Jan.  10,  1882. 
We  were  fortunate  in  our  time  of  arrival,  as  the  city  was  just  then  much  inter- 
ested in  a  trial  which  was  occupying  the  rulers. 

Among  the  Laos  people,  when  a  man  brings  a  civil  case  before  the  ordi- 
nary judge  or  magistrate,  and  is  dissatisfied  with  the  decision,  he  can  appeal  to 
the  court  of  the  chief  and  have  it  retried.  Should  he  still  be  dissatisfied,  by 
paying  a  heavy  fee  (a  certain  percentage  of  the  amount  at  stake)  he  can  appeal 
to  the  court  of  the  Water-Spirits.  This  is  the  supreme  court  of  the  Laos  tribe, 
and  from  its  decision  there  is  no  appeal.  The  good  spirits  are  supposed  to 
assist  the  one  who  has  the  most  righteous  cause.  Therefore,  having  once  given 
its  voice,  there  is  no  higher  tribunal  to  which  an  appeal  can  be  made;  the 
question  is  settled  forever. 

The  appeals  to  this  court  are  not  very  numerous;  because,  in  addition  to 
the  large  fee  each  side  has  to  pay  into  the  hands  of  the  chief  before  the  case  is 
tried,  litigants  are  deterred  from  plunging  so  deep  into  legal  strife  by  the  fact 
that  the  defeated  party  becomes  the  slave  of  the  successful  one ;  so  that,  when 
a  man  has  a  case  to  be  tried  in  this  court,  he  risks  not  only  the  amount  claimed 
in  the  original  case,  but  the  personal  liberty  of  himself  and  family  as  well. 

The  case  we  saw  decided  was  one  in  which,  among  other  things,  the  owner- 
ship of  about  fifty  slaves  was  involved. 

The  hour  fixed  was  10  A.M.;  so  we  wended  our  way  to  the  place  of  con- 
flict. It  was  evidently  a  gala-day,  and  every  spot  of  vantage-ground  was. occu- 
pied by  interested  spectators, — yes,  interested  in  more  senses  than  one;  many 
of  them  having  a  good  deal  of  money  at  stake  in  bets  on  the  issue. 

The  old  chief  came  down  ;  but  seeing  the  crowd  I  presume  he  thought  there 
were  plenty  to  see  fair  play,  so  he  went  back  home.  But  royalty  was  still  rep- 
resented abundantly ;  and  the  wife,  sons,  daughter,  and  son-in-law  of  the  old 
man  remained  to  witness  the  trial. 

The  second  chief  was  also  there,  as  well  as  some  Siamese  officials,  who  have 
charge  of  all  international  business  of  the  Zimmay  Province. 

Seats  were  given  us  among  the  grandees  ;  and  as  we  sat  under  the  protection 
of  a  royal  guard,  we  felt  quite  safe. 

Scarcely  are  we  seated  before  the  litigants  make  their  appearance,  and  take 
their  places  upon  two  bamboo  platforms  prepared  for  them.  Each  one  is 
dressed  in  white,  and  surrounded  by  a  number  of  friends  and  helpers.  Each 
platform  is  surrounded  by  a  lot  of  lighted  candles ;  an  offering  of  flowers  is 


RANGOON.  28 1 

made  to  the  spirits  who  are  supposed  to  preside  over  the  water,  which  they  are 
now  about  to  enter. 

They  now  proceed  to  prayers,  in  which  they  invoke  the  aid  of  the  river-god 
and  all  good  spirits,  and  call  down  upon  themselves  most  frightful  imprecations 
if  their  claim  is  unjust,  or  if  they  are  attempting  to  deceive  in  any  particular. 

Two  posts  have  been  driven  into  the  bottom  of  the  river,  in  about  three  feet 
and  a  half  or  four  feet  of  water. 

The  prayers  being  over,  having  a  crown  of  wicker-work  interwoven  with 
flowers  upon  his  head,  and  a  rope  tied  around  his  waist,  each  principal  is  led 
down  into  the  water  by  a  single  attendant. 

Each  one  goes  to  his  post  and  grasps  it  firmly  in  his  hands,  so  that  he  may 
not  be  carried  away  by  the  swiftly  flowing  current.  A  long  bamboo  is  now 
put  from  the  shoulder  of  the  one  to  the  shoulder  of  the  other. 

And  now  comes  the  contest :  they  are  to  go  under  the  water  exactly  the 
same  moment,  and  the  one  who  stays  under  the  longer  wins  the  case.  Of 
course  the  supposition  is  that  he  has  been  helped  by  the  spirits. 

A  hush  goes  over  the  vast  assembly.  The  signal  is  given,  and  down,  down 
they  go  slowly,  —  shoulders,  chin,  mouth,  eyes,  head,  —  all  have  disappeared; 
they  are  invisible,  and  the  water  flows  over  them  without  a  ripple.  The  con- 
testants are  generally  in  such  a  terrible  state  of  excitement  that  it  is  impossible 
for  them  to  stay  under  long,  a  half-minute  sometimes  deciding  the  case. 

But  half  a  minute  goes  by,  no  sign  from  below ;  a  minute,  still  invisible. 
Meanwhile  the  excitement  on  shore  is  intense. 

A  minute  and  a  half;  every  breath  is  hushed,  and  every  eye  is  fixed  on 
those  two  posts  in  painful  expectancy. 

Two  minutes  is  reached ;  not  a  voice  is  heard,  although  it  is  evident  that  it 
is  only  by  a  mighty  effort  the  crowd  is  restrained. 

At  two  minutes  five  seconds  a  head  appears  at  the  post  nearest  to  the 
shore,  and  we  see  at  once  there  is  something  wrong.  The  man  has  remained 
below  until  he  has  lost  consciousness,  and  is  being  carried  away  by  the  current. 
Seeing  this,  his  attendant  catches  him  up  and  raises  his  head  above  water,  and 
he  has  lost  his  case. 

The  case  is  decided ;  the  pent-up  emotion  finds  vent  in  yells,  screams ;  and 
all  is  confusion. 

Meanwhile,  the  friends  of  each  man  rush  out  to  meet  him  ;  but  how  differ- 
ent the  feelings  animating  each  party!  The  one  is  carried  in  almost  dead,  and 
hurried  out  of  the  way;  while  the  other  was  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  his 
friends  in  triumph,  while  others  go  before  him  singing,  dancing,  and  showing 
their  joy  in  all  manner  of  impossible  capers. 


282  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

I  could  but  feel  sorry  for  the  defeated  one ;  for  he  had  made  a  gallant 
fight,  sticking  to  his  post  until  he  became  insensible,  and  then  of  course  he  was 
brought  to  the  surface  solely  in  obedience  to  the  laws  of  specific  gravity. 

But  the  spirits  had  decided ;  the  case  was  settled.  The  son-in-law  of  the 
chief  is  in  great  spirits,  having  won  four  hundred  rupees;  while  the  second 
chief  is  very  much  dissatisfied  :  he  lost  seven  hundred  rupees;  so  he  declares  it 
was  unfair,  because  the  victor  went  under  the  water  a  second  or  so  later  than 
his  opponent. 

So  ends  the  spectacle  ;  but  not  so  my  thoughts  upon  the  subject.  It  seems 
to  me  I  have  been  away  back  into  mediaeval  times,  and  witnessed  a  chapter 
from  the  history  of  our  forefathers  in  the  Middle  Ages. 

It  is  an  experience  I  would  not  have  missed  for  a  great  deal ;  and  whenever 
in  the  future  I  read  of  a  trial  by  combat,  whether  in  history  or  fiction,  I  shall 
always  have  a  vivid  remembrance  of  what  I  saw  on  the  banks  of  the  Ma- Ping 
River  in  Northern  Siam. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


THE    FATE   OF   THE   SEVEN    MERCHANTS    WHO    BELIEVED    LIES. 


LMOST  every  nation  of  the  Orient  has  some 
story  similar  to  the  one  we  are  about  to  tell.  It 
is  known  among  the  Siamese  and  Burmese  as 
the  Story  of  Saw  Kay.  It  is  really  a  Karen 
story.  We  copy  this  version  from  a  book  called 
"  The  Loyal  Karens  of  Burmah,"  by  Donald  M. 
Smeaton,  of  the  Bengal  Civil  Service. 


There  once  lived  a  great  Karen  called  the  Yellow  Chief.  He  had  a  son 
named  Saw  Kay  (Mr.  Crooked).  He  was  a  cunning,  idle,  lazy  fellow.  The 
Burmese  Government  seized  on  the  entire  clan,  and  sent  them  under  guard  to 
cut  a  huge  teak-tree  into  a  war-boat  and  drag  it  to  the  river-bank.  Saw 
Kay  was  the  only  male  not  seized.  He  was  spared  to  carry  the  rice  the  women 
were  forced  to  clean  for  the  food  of  the  working  party.  Saw  Kay's  mother 
had  two  large  and  very  fat  hogs,  which  she  had  petted  so  long  that  she  could 
not  bear  to  have  them  killed.  Saw  Kay's  mouth  watered  every  time  he  looked 
at  their  fat  sides  ;  and  as  his  entreaties  to  be  allowed  to  kill  the  hogs  were  in 
vain,  he  laid  a  plan  to  induce  his  mother  to  gratify  his  appetite  for  pork. 

He  went  to  his  father,  and  with  a  profuse  gush  of  tears  told  him  that  his 
mother  was  dead  ;  sobbed  out  a  pitiful  talc  of  how  his  mother  had  been  seized 
by  cholera,  and  had  died  alone,  deserted  by  all  the  women  of  the  clan,  and  how 
he  alone  had  buried  the  body  and  performed  the  funeral  rites.  Leaving  his 
father  under  guard,  plunged  in  the  depth  of  woe  at  this  untimely  bereavement, 
he  returned  to  his  home  and  told  his  mother  that  his  father,  while  at  his  work, 
had  been  killed  by  the  boat  rolling  over  on  him.  He  described  the  fearful 
appearance  of  the  corpse,  mangled  by  the  crushing  weight  that  had  mutilated 


284  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

it  beyond  recognition,  and,  beating  on  his  breast,  exclaimed  against  the  brutality 
of  the  Burman  guard  that  would  not  even  permit  the  removal  of  the  corpse  to 
the  ancestral  burial-place  (a  terrible  thing  to  Karens). 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Saw  Kay  was  the  only  means  of  communica- 
tion between  the  working  party  and  their  home,  and  that  his  lies  ran  no  risk  of 
detection. 

The  mother,  bathed  in  tears,  said,  "  Well,  he  was  a  good  husband  to  me, 
and  the  least  I  can  do  will  be  to  make  the  usual  funeral  feast  to  his  memory, 
even  if  his  bones  do  not  lie  with  those  of  his  fathers." 

So  one  of  the  hogs  was  killed,  and  Saw  Kay  gorged  himself  to  repletion. 
Soon  after  he  began  his  plans  for  a  second  feast,  and  went  to  his  father  with 
proposals  for  a  re-marriage.  He  said,  "  Father,  we  shall  need  some  one  to 
cook  for  us  and  weave  our  clothes.  Now,  I  lately  saw  a  woman  who  looked 
exactly  like  mother,  —  talked  like  her,  and  acted  like  her.  In  fact,  if  I  had  not 
buried  mother  with  my  own  hands,  I  should  have  claimed  her  as  my  own 
mother.  Now,  you  had  better  marry  her.  Let  me  act  as  the  go-between  and 
negotiate  a  marriage." 

The  father  replied,  "  If  she  is  like  your  dead  mother,  it  is  all  I  can  ask;  " 
and  consented  to  the  match. 

Saw  Kay  then  went  to  his  mother,  and  told  her  that  as  soon  as  the  clan 
returned  from  their  work  they  would  be  driven  from  the  long  house  in  which 
the  entire  clan  lived,  in  accordance  with  the  ancestral  Karen  custom,  which 
banished  widows  and  orphans  from  the  house,  lest  their  misfortune  prove  con- 
tagious. He  urged  her  to  a  second  marriage,  saying  that  he  had  met  a  man 
in  the  forest  so  strikingly  resembling  his  father,  that  if  he  had  not  buried  his 
father  with  his  own  hands,  he  should  say  it  was  his  own  father. 

The  mother  said  that  if  the  proposed  individual  was  only  half  as  good  as 
her  deceased  husband,  it  wa*s  enough,  and  consented  to  the  match. 

In  this  way  Saw  Kay  was  the  first  one  to  arrange  a  marriage  between  his 
own  parents. 

When  the  clan  returned  on  the  completion  of  the  boat,  the  second  hog  was 

killed  for  the  marriage  feast. 

/ 

Saw  Kay,  of  course,  presided,  trusting  to  the  impossibility  of  his  parents 
having  any  private  conversation  in  the  crowd  of  invited  guests.  Both,  of 
course,  were  much  struck  by  the  very  peculiar  resemblance  to  the  supposed 
dead  partner,  but  they  had  been  prepared  for  this  by  Saw  Kay's  previous 
description.  In  high  feather,  Saw  Kay  performed  the  marriage  ceremony  over 
his  parents,  and  ushered  them  to  the  bridal  chamber. 

Judging  rightfully  that  "the  ground  would  be  too  hot  for  him  to  tread  on," 


FATE  OF  THE  SEVEN  MERCHANTS  WHO  BELIEVED  LIES.        287 

on  the  morrow,  Saw  Kay  shouldered   a  hind-quarter  of  the  hog  slain  for  the 
feast,  and  marched  to  the  "  tai  "  (long  mountain-house)  of  a  neighboring  clan. 

He  took  care  to  time  his  arrival  so  as  to  find  none  of  the  men  at  home. 
When  he  entered  the  "tai,"  the  women  crowded  around  him,  their  mouths  water- 
ing  at  the  sight  of  the  very  fat  hind-quarter  of  pork  Saw  Kay  had  brought  with 
him.  He  reported  that  he  had  speared  a  wild  hog  too  heavy  to  be  carried 
home,  and  that  he  was  returning  for  help  to  bring  in  the  rest  of  the  carcass. 

"  If  you  have  a  whole  carcass,  sell  us  this,"  spoke  up  an  old  woman ;  and 
she  asked  the  price. 

Saw  Kay  asked  one  hundred  rupees  for  it.  Karens  then  buried  all  their 
money  for  fear  of  the  Burmese  Government;  and  the  woman,  never  seeing 
money,  knew  nothing  of  its  value. 

"  Oh,  if  my  husband  were  only  at  home,  I  'd  make  him  buy  me  this  deli- 
cious pork !  "  groaned  the  old  woman. 

"  Go  and  ask  him,"  said  Saw  Kay ;  "  he  is  just  beyond  those  bushes  across 
the  ravine." 

The  old  woman  ran  round  the  head  of  the  ravine,  while  Saw  Kay  whipped 
across  unknown  to  her.  On  reaching  the  bushes,  she  shouted,  "  Husband, 
husband  !  may  I  buy  a  quarter  of  very  fat  pork  for  a  hundred  rupees?  " 

Saw  Kay,  from  the  other  side  of  the  bushes,  called  out,  personating  her 
husband,  "  Yes;  and  buy  it  quickly,  lest  you  lose  so  good  a  bargain." 

The  old  woman  ran  round,  while  Saw  Kay  rushed  across  the  ravine,  and 
was  found  sitting  quietly  in  his  place  as  if  he  had  never  stirred.  The  old  woman 
dug  up  the  money,  and  Saw  Kay  hastily  left  with  his  ill-gotten  gains,  rightly 
judging  that  the  place  would  be  too  hot  for  him  when  the  men  returned  from 
their  work. 

He  then  went  down  to  the  "  Prince's  Road,"  knowing  that  seven  great 
Burmese  merchants,  with  five  hundred  carts  laden  with  up-country  silk  "  patsoes," 
were  soon  to  pass  the  spot.  He  carved  a  staff  with  peculiar  figures  on  it,  and 
buried  his  hundred  rupees  a  few  inches  under  the  ground  in  little  deposits  of 
from  two  to  five  rupees  each. 

When  his  quick  eye  detected  the  merchants  riding  in  advance  of  their  carts, 
he  pretended  to  be  absorbed  in  his  pursuits,  and  flourishing  his  staff  with 
mystic  passes  he  would  shout,  "  Hey  for  five  rupees !  "  strike  the  earth,  and 
dig  up  the  money. 

The  merchants  watched  the  proceedings,  saying  to  themselves,  "  Fool,  not 
to  wish  for  a  lakh  of  rupees  at  once !  " 

On  their  approach  Saw  Kay  feigned  great  fright,  and  tried  to  escape.  The 
merchants  held  him  fast,  and  tried  to  frighten  him  into  a  bargain  for  the  magic- 


288  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

staff.  He  pleaded  hard  to  be  allowed  to  keep  it  and  said,  "  Perhaps  the  stick 
may  be  destined  by  fate  for  me  alone." 

The  merchants  threatened  and  offered  money,  until  at  last  he,  with  apparent 
reluctance,  sold  the  staff  for  a  thousand  rupees.  The  merchants  dared  not  try 
their  staff  till  they  reached  Rangoon,  lest  the  possession  of  so  great  a  treasure 
might  cause  them  to  be  murdered  by  their  own  camp-followers.  Of  course  the 
magic  staff  failed  them.  They  were  unable  to  search  for  Saw  Kay  till  all  their 
cargo  of  silk  "  patsoes  "  was  disposed  of,  which  took  all  the  rainy  season. 

In  the  forest  Saw  Kay  met  a  widow  who  had  been  driven  from  her  clan  and 
who  had  a  posthumous  daughter.  Being  brought  up  alone  in  a  forest,  the 
young  girl  had  never  seen  a  man.  The  tale  waxes  eloquent  in  praises  of  the 
young  woman's  beauty,  and  tells  how  the  magic  glance  of  her  melting  eye 
brought  a  body-guard  of  the  most  savage  beasts  around  her;  how  whenever 
she  stepped  out  into  the  sunshine  the  birds  would  close  their  ranks,  flying  over 
her  so  as  to  form  a  canopy  over  her  to  prevent  her  beautiful  complexion  from 
being  tanned  by  the  sun ;  how  the  carols  of  the  birds  accompanied  her  steps 
while  walking;  and  how  the  birds  watched  in  deathlike  stillness  over  her  siestas. 
It  was  a  case  of  love  at  first  sight,  and  the  happy  couple  entered  the  nuptial 
state  amid  the  wild  enthusiasm  of  the  beasts  of  the  forest  enslaved  by  the  mar- 
vellous beauty  of  the  lovely  bride.  The  newly  married  couple  spent  the  rainy 
season  in  the  seclusion  of  the  forest. 

With  the  opening  of  the  dry  weather,  the  merchants  came  in  great  wrath  to 
hunt  down  the  dog  of  a  Karen  who  had  dared  to  cheat  royal  Burmese  merchants. 

With  hundreds  of  their  camp-followers  they  beat  every  strip  of  jungle  and 
scoured  every  plain,  till  at  last  one  morning  Saw  Kay's  little  hut  was  surrounded 
by  men  eagerly  thirsting  for  his  blood. 

Hastily  giving  his  wife  and  mother-in-law  directions  what  to  do,  he  sprang 
out  on  the  veranda  and  seized  a  small  bow  hung  there  merely  to  frighten  the 
crows,  and  commenced  a  wild  dance  with  the  most  extravagant  gestures  to 
divert  the  attention  of  the  men,  closing  up  around  him,  from  the  attempt  to 
escape  of  his  wife  and  her  mother.  The  two  women  stole  away  unperceived, 
as  no  one  knew  of  Saw  Kay's  marriage  and  they  were  only  on  the  look-out  for 
the  audacious  Karen. 

"  Slave  of  a  Karen !  "  shouted  the  merchants,  as  they  seized  on  Saw  Kay, 
"  even  your  blood  will  not  fully  avenge  the  insult  you  have  inflicted  on  us." 

Saw  Kay  reminded  them  of  the  extreme  reluctance  with  which  he  had 
parted  with  the  magic  staff,  and  of  the  threats  by  which  his  consent  to  the  sale 
had  been  extorted,  and  told  them  the  staff  was  evidently  assigned  by  fate  to 
him,  and  that  they,  unworthy  on  account  of  their  avarice  in  grasping  so  much 


FATE   OF   THE  SEVEN  MERCHANTS   WHO  BELIEVED  LIES.      291 

at  once,  were  unable  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  He  pleaded  to  ears  deafened  by 
long-nursed  rage.  He  then  rose  with  dignity,  and  said :  "  Since  nothing  but 
blood  will  appease  your  anger,  I  refuse  not  to  die.  I  only  ask  to  be  allowed 
before  my  death  to  give  you  all  a  good  meal  of  fowl-curry,  that  I  may  die  in 
the  odor  of  sanctity,  doing  good  even  to  my  murderers." 

"  Dog  of  a  Karen !  "  yelled  his  foes,  "  do  not  think  to  appease  us  by  so 
trifling  a  gift." 

"  I  hope  not  to  soften  your  hard  hearts;  I  only  ask  to  depart  this  life  in  a 
forgiving  spirit." 

All  the  party  were  very  hungry,  and  finally  consented.  Surrounded  by 
guards  holding  ropes  attached  to  his  waist,  and  ordered  to  cut  him  down  at  the 
first  attempt  to  escape,  Saw  Kay  took  the  little  bow  and  started  with  the  whole 
party  for  the  jungle,  to  shoot  wild  fowl  for  the  curry  he  had  promised.  When 
wild  fowl  were  met  he  refused  to  shoot,  saying  there  were  not  enough  in  the 
flock  to  feed  so  many.  He  was  really  only  making  time  for  his  wife  and  her 
mother  to  follow  out  his  directions. 

At  last  a  large  flock  of  wild  fowl  was  met  with,  and  he  fired  towards  them ; 
but  the  weak  bow  failed  even  to  reach  the  fowls  as  they  whirred  away. 

Saw  Kay  shouted  after  them,  "  Go  home  and  cook  yourselves !  go  home 
and  cook  yourselves  !  "  and  carefully  concealed  the  bow  while  his  captors  were 
watching  the  fowls. 

The  merchants  expressed  their  disgust  at  being  thus  fooled,  and  were  on 
the  point  of  killing  him  at  once,  but  Saw  Kay  begged  them  to  return  to  the  hut 
and  watch  the  result  of  his  shot. 

They  did  so,  and  found,  to  their  surprise,  a  great  pot  of  rice  and  a  steaming 
kettle  of  capital  fowl-curry  that  the  two  women  had  cooked,  in  the  absence  of 
the  party,  by  Saw  Kay's  orders.  While  they  enjoyed  the  feast  the  merchants 
said :  "  The  scamp  did  certainly  cheat  us  about  the  staff,  but  this  bow  is  worth 
having.  It  would  be  very  handy  on  our  long  journeys  to  have  a  bow  which 
would  not  only  shoot  but  cook  our  game  for  us."  They  offered  Saw  Kay  his 
life  if  he  would  only  give  up  the  bow  to  them. 

He  refused,  saying  he  was  too  lazy  to  work;  and  as  his  money  was  lost 
with  the  magic  staff,  and  if  now  he  lost  his  food  with  the  magic  bow,  life  was 
worthless  to  him. 

To  cut  a  long  story  short,  they  offered  more  and  more,  till  finally  they  paid 
him  a  thousand  rupees  for  the  magic  bow.  Saw  Kay,  on  his  release,  pushed 
with  his  wife  and  her  mother  still  farther  into  the  depths  of  the  forest.  Of 
course  the  magic  bow  failed  as  the  magic  staff  had  done. 

With  redoubled  rage  the  Burmese  merchants  started  afresh  in  search  of  the 


2Q2  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 


daring  Karen  who  had  twice  outwitted  them.    After  many  days'  fruitless  search, 
they  again  surrounded  Saw  Kay's  new  hut. 

The  wife  and  mother  attempted  to  escape  again  as  before,  but  failed.  Saw 
Kay  concealed  his  wife  in  the  house,  and  kept  his  mother-in-law  with  him  on 
the  veranda.  As  soon  as  his  enemies  came  within  hearing,  Saw  Kay  said  in 
a  violent  tone  to  his  mother-in-law:  "  You  wretched  old  wife  of  mine,  how  can 
any  one  live  with  a  withered  old  crone  like  you?  Become  a  virgin,  or  I  will 
beat  you  with  this  rice-pestle  till  you  do  so." 

He  seized  the  old  lady  by  the  waist  and  threw  her  down  violently  and  rolled 
her  up  in  a  mat,  whispering  to  her  to  crawl  out  of  the  end  of  the  mat  and  escape. 
The  old  woman  this  time  succeeded,  as  the  attention  of  every  one  was  taken  by 
the  peculiar  talk  and  gestures  of  their  prey. 

Saw  Kay  struck  the  roll  of  matting  several  very  heavy  blows  with  the  rice 
pestle,  shouting,  "  Become  a  virgin  !  become  a  virgin  !  "  He  threw  the  roll  of 
matting  across  his  shoulder  and  ran  into  the  house. 

His  foes  rushed  into  the  house  to  seize  him,  but  at  the  mere  sight  of  the 
young  and  lovely  wife  all  fell  prostrate  before  her.  They  slowly  arose,  and  with 
dazzled  eyes  bound  their  victim  and  took  him  to  their  masters,  telling  them  they 
had  with  their  own  eyes  seen  a  wrinkled,  toothless  old  woman  changed  by  the 
blows  of  the  club  into  this  lovely  vision  of  beauty. 

The  merchants  held  a  long  consultation  over  the  beauteous  prize.  They 
said :  "  We  have  been  terribly  cheated  twice,  it  is  true,  but  we  see  here  that 
there  can  be  no  deception  in  this  wonderful  club.  Our  wives  we  married  while 
young,  and  we  love  them  too  much  to  divorce  them ;  yet  we  cannot  but  con- 
fess they  are  not  as  handsome  as  they  once  were.  This  club,  renewing  the 
youth  and  beauty  of  our  wives,  will  be  our  most  valuable  possession." 

After  a  long  mixture  of  threats  and  tempting  offers,  the  merchants  bought 
the  club  for  a  thousand  rupees,  and  returned  to  their  camp  on  the  plains,  and 
the  same  evening  all  made  widowers  of  themselves.  The  magic  club,  seemed 
as  much  a  failure  as  the  magic  staff  and  the  magic  bow  had  been.  The  unfor- 
tunate wives,  when  taken  out  of  the  rolls  of  matting,  were  stone  dead,  killed 
by  the  blows  they  had  received. 

The  merchants  were,  of  course,  wild  with  rage  at  being  deceived  the  third 
time.  Distrusting  their  own  ability  to  cope  with  the  wily  Karen  alone,  they 
laid  a  formal  complaint  before  the  governor  of  the  district,  stationed  at  Myoun- 
taga,  and  begged  that  condign  punishment  might  be  meted  out  to  the  slave  of 
a  Karen  who  had  dared  repeatedly  to  cheat  royal  Burmese  merchants. 

A  levy  of  every  male  between  fourteen  and  sixty  years  of  age  was  at  once 
ordered,  and  the  entire  forest  was  carefully  scoured. 


FATE   OF  THE  SEVEN  MERCHANTS   WHO  BELIEVED  LIES.       295 

Hearing  of  Saw  Kay's  wonderful  cunning,  the  governor  ordered  every  one 
of  the  beaters  ears  to  be  carefully  stopped  with  wax.  Saw  Kay  was  captured. 

What  were  his  pleas  and  how  he  tried  to  escape  his  fate,  is  unknown ;  as, 
owing  to  the  governor's  precaution,  no  one  could  hear  a  word  he  said. 

Saw  Kay  was  sentenced  to  death,  and  every  Karen  in  the  district  was 
brought  in  to  attend  the  execution,  that  hereafter  no  "  dog  of  a  Karen  "  should 
ever  dare  to  take  such  liberties  with  their  masters. 

That  each  of  the  seven  merchants  might  have  a  share  in  his  death,  Saw 
Kay  was  put  into  a  long  cylindrical  basket  with  stones  at  each  end  to  sink  it, 
and  the  basket  was  laid  on  the  brink  of  a  steep  bank  which  overhangs  a  deep 
pool  in  the  river.  At  the  word  of  command  each  merchant  was  to  give  a  kick 
to  the  basket,  and  thus  roll  it  into  the  river. 

A  grand  breakfast  was  given  by  the  merchants  to  all  the  assembled  crowds 
in  honor  of  the  final  victory  over  their  cunning  foe,  which  they  now  felt  was 
secure.  During  breakfast  Saw  Kay  was  left  alone  in  his  basket,  his  guards 
deeming  him  securely  fastened.  They  feared  lest,  in  the  scramble  for  breakfast, 
they  might  lose  their  share. 

While  everybody  was  away,  an  up-country  boatman,  with  a  cargo  of  silk 
"  patsoes  "  and  much  jewelry,  was  attracted  by  the  sight  of  the  crowd,  and  think- 
ing it  might  be  a  capital  chance  to  sell  his  wares,  he  landed  just  where  Saw  Kay's 
basket  lay. 

"  Hi !  you  fellow  in  the  basket,"  he  asked,  "  what  are  you  doing  there?  " 

Saw  Kay  replied:  "The  king  at  Ava  is  dead,  and  the  astrologers  have 
pronounced  that  I  am  the  only  one  who  can  succeed  him.  I  refused  the  crown ; 
and  as  the  astrologers  have  decided  that  in  my  lifetime  no  one  else  can  peace- 
ably ascend  the  throne,  I  am  now  to  be  drowned." 

"  Fool !  "  replied  the  boatman,  "  to  avoid  what  any  one  would  risk  his  life 
for,  you  give  up  your  life." 

Saw  Kay  piously  talked  of  the  many  temptations  of  a  kingly  life,  and  the 
many  deaths  a  king  must  cause,  and  said  he  had  deliberately  weighed  temporal 
against  eternal  riches,  and  had  chosen  death  rather  than  the  throne. 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  boatman,  "  don't  I  wish  I  had  your  chance?  " 

"  What  will  you  give  for  it?  "  said  Saw  Kay. 

"  My  boat  and  its  cargo,"  replied  the  boatman. 

"  Agreed,"  was  Saw  Kay's  reply.  "  Hurry  and  take  my  place  before  any 
one  comes  to  notice  our  proceedings." 

The  boatman  set  the  Karen  at  liberty,  took  his  place,  and  was  firmly 
tied  in  by  Saw  Kay,  who  quietly  took  his  seat  in  his  new  boat  to  watch  the 
execution. 


296  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

When  breakfast  was  over,  the  drums  beat  to  assemble  the  crowds,  the 
bands  began  to  play,  and  the  dancers  to  celebrate  the  victory  of  the  royal 
Burman  over  the  despised  Karen.  As  the  merchants  advanced  to  roll  their 
enemy  into  the  river,  the  poor  boatman  shouted  from  the  basket  with  all  his 
might,  "  I  will  be  king !  I  will  be  king !  " 

"  A  great  king  you  '11  be !  "  was  the  reply,  as  the  merchants  rolled  him  into 
the  pool.  The  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  feasting  and  dancing  to  celebrate 
the  victory  over  the  Karens.  Next  morning,  as  the  merchants  were  packing 
their  carts  for  their  return,  Saw  Kay  walked  into  the  camp  with  sublime  impu- 
dence, with  jewelry  all  over  his  person  and  silk  "  patsoes  "  hanging  over  his  arms 
and  shoulders,  the  spoils  of  the  up-country  boatman. 

Every  jaw  fell,  and  stammeringly  they  asked  him  how  he  came  there. 

"  Did  n't  I  say  yesterday  that  I  would  be  a  king?  Now  I  am  one.  It  hap- 
pened that  the  road  to  heaven  leads  right  into  that  pool,  and  you  rolled  me 
exactly  into  the  road  that  leads  to  the  abodes  of  the  blest.  There  I  saw  all 
your  deceased  relatives  and  ancestors,  who  expressed  great  wonder  that  none  of 
you  ever  visited  them.  They  have  sent  you  these  gifts  to  show  you  the  marvel- 
lous riches  of  that  glorious  country.  I  could  not  bear  to  return,  but  your  friends 
begged  me  so  hard  to  return  and  show  you  the  way,  that  I  could  not  refuse." 

"  How  can  we  go?  "  asked  the  merchants. 

"  Easily,"  replied  Saw  Kay.  "  Make  me  eight  baskets,  and  I  will  tie  you 
into  seven  of  them  and  follow  you  in  the  eighth." 

The  baskets  were  made.  Saw  Kay  rolled  the  merchants  into  the  pool,  and 
returned  with  all  their  wealth  to  Mya-yah-doung. 


JUDGE   HARE   AND   HIS   WONDERFUL   DECISIONS. 

In  the  following  stories  Judge  Hare  is  made  to  act  the  part  some- 
what like  that  assigned  to  "  Brother  Rabbit "  in  the  negro  cabins  of  the 
South. 

A  tiger  and  a  hare  once'  made  a  friendship  by  drinking  together  the  mingled 
blood  of  both  (a  Karen  custom  to  this  day).  The  tigers  then  were  pure  yellow 
without  stripes.  They  went  off  to  cut  thatch  for  their  houses. 

The  tiger  took  his  breakfast  done  up  in  a  parcel.  The  hare  made  up  a 
bundle  of  offal  to  resemble  the  tiger's  breakfast  parcel.  Both  cut  busily  away 
at  the  thatch  till  breakfast-time,  when  the  hare  went  to  the  tree  under  which 
their  parcels  had  been  placed,  and  called  the  tiger  to  breakfast. 


JUDGE  HARE  AND  HIS   WONDERFUL  DECISIONS.  299 

The  tiger  said  he  could  not  come  just  then,  for  he  wanted  to  cut  more 
thatch  before  the  sun  became  too  hot  to  work. 

The  hare  replied,  "  Don't  you  know  that  when  you  are  late  to  breakfast 
your  food  changes  to  offal?" 

The  tiger  went  on  cutting  thatch,  and  the  hare  ate  up  all  his  breakfast. 

When  the  sun  became  hot,  the  tiger  came  in  hungry,  and  found  nothing 
but  offal  in  what  he  took  for  his  own  parcel.  "Didn't  I  tell  you  so?"  said 
the  hare. 

Soon  the  hare  pretended  to  have  a  severe  attack  of  fever,  and  the  tiger 
offered  to  carry  him  home. 

"  How  can  I  ever  stick  on  your  smooth  glossy  back?  "  said  the  hare.  "  You 
must  tie  some  bundles  of  thatch  on  your  back  to  form  a  saddle  for  me." 

The  tiger  firmly  bound  some  bundles  of  dry  thatch  on  his  back,  and  the 
hare  crawled  upon  them.  On  their  way  home  the  hare  began  striking  his  flint 
and  steel  together. 

"  What  noise  is  that?  "  asked  the  tiger. 

"  Only  my  teeth  chattering  with  the  ague,"  replied  the  hare. 

Soon  the  hare  blew  the  sparks  into  a  blaze,  and  jumped  off,  laughing  at  the 
fearful  scorching  borne  by  the  unfortunate  tiger,  who  bears  the  marks  of  his 
burns  to-day  in  his  stripes. 

The  tiger,  of  course,  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  hare. 

The  hare,  seeing  him  coming,  climbed  up  into  a  bee-tree,  and  crawled  up 
to  the  bees  so  stealthily  as  not  to  be  noticed  by  them. 

The  tiger  roared  out,  "  Come  down  and  I  '11  swallow  you  alive,  you  faithless 
friend." 

"  There  are  white,  black,  gray,  and  speckled  hares  ;  I  'm  not  the  only  hare," 
replied  he.  "  Prove  that  I  am  guilty  before  you  eat  me." 

The  tiger  could  not  do  so,  and,  accepting  the  denial  of  the  hare,  asked  him 
what  he  was  doing  there. 

"  I  am  watching  my  grandfather's  fan,"  was  the  reply. 

"  What's  your  grandfather's  fan  good  for?"  asked  the  tiger. 

"  Oh,  it  cools  you  off  without  the  trouble  of  fanning  yourself.  Can't  you 
hear  the  rushing  of  the  wind  from  it?"  was  the  reply. 

The  tiger  mistook  the  murmur  of  the  bees  for  the  breeze,  and,  smarting 
with  his  terrible  burns,  thought  that  a  self-acting  punkah  would  be  very  handy 
just  then,  and  so  asked  to  be  allowed  to  watch  "his  grandfather's  fan"  for  the 
hare  for  a  few  hours,  —  for  you  must  know  bees  build  in  a  semi-circular,  fanlikc 
shape  under  a  bough  in  Burmah. 

The  hare  consented,  and  told  the  tiger  that  a  gentle  pat  with  his  paw  would 


^00  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN   THE  ANTIPODES. 

increase  the  current  of  air  to  any  desired  extent.  The  tiger  crawled  up,  and  lay 
at  full  length  on  the  limb ;  but,  feeling  no  cooling  breeze,  struck  the  bees  with 
his  paw.  Of  course  he  was  attacked  by  the  whole  swarm,  and  nearly  killed  by 
their  stings.  With  redoubled  rage  the  tiger  started  again  in  pursuit. 

The  hare  awaited  his  arrival  where  two  trees  crossed  their  trunks  and 
creaked  with  every  gust  of  wind. 

"  Come  here,  you  doubly  faithless  friend,  and  I  '11  swallow  you  alive,"  roared 
the  tiger. 

As  before,  the  hare  pleaded  an  alibi,  and  challenged  the  tiger  to  prove  his 
identity  with  the  hare  that  had  wronged  him.  The  tiger,  with  no  proof  at  hand, 
accepted  the  hare's  statement,  and  asked  him  what  he  was  doing  there. 

"  Oh,  I  'm  watching  over  my  grandfather's  harp,"  was  the  reply.  "  Can't 
you  hear  its  song?" 

"What's  the  good  of  your  grandfather's  harp?"  asked  the  tiger. 

"  Oh,  it  lulls  you  to  sleep  in  spite  of  all  pain,"  answered  the  wily  hare. 

The  tiger,  smarting  with  his  burns  and  the  stings  of  the  bees,  longed  to 
forget  his  pain  in  sleep,  and  so  asked  to  be  allowed  to  take  the  hare's  place  for 
a  few  hours.  The  hare  consented,  and  told  the  tiger  he  had  only  to  put  his 
paw  between  the  trees  when  the  wind  blew,  and  the  most  enchanting  airs  of 
music  would  soon  waft  him  to  dreamland.  Of  course,  the  tiger's  paw  was 
caught  between  the  trees  and  fearfully  crushed. 

Thrice  cheated,  the  tiger  again  limped  off  in  pursuit.  This  time  he  found 
the  hare  had  fallen  into  a  pit  dug  to  catch  game.  When  called  on  to  surrender 
himself  for  death,  the  hare  denied  his  identity  as  before,  and  said,  — 

"  How  could  I  have  cheated  you  so  when  I  have  been  watching  my  grand- 
father's game-pit  all  the  time?  Here  I  have  more  game  than  I  can  eat." 

The  tiger,  smarting  with  burns  and  stings  and  crippled  in  one  paw,  could 
no  longer  run  down  game,  and  so  asked  permission  to  jump  down  into  the  pit 
and  eat  the  game  that  fell  in. 

The  hare  agreed,  and,  as  soon  as  the  tiger  was  safe  in  the  pit,  began  tick- 
ling his  burns  with  a  straw. 

"  Stop  that  or  I  '11  throw  you  out  of  the  pit,"  said  the  tiger. 

The  hare  kept  on  ti6kling,  and  at  last  the  tiger  threw  him  out  of  the  pit 
altogether.  The  hare  then  ran  to  some  Shans,  who  had  dug  the  pit,  and  told 
them  that  a  tiger  had  fallen  into  a  pit,  and  the  Shans  killed  the  tiger. 

The  hare,  from  his  great  wisdom,  soon  became  the  umpire  to  whose  deci- 
sion all  the  disputes  of  the  forest  were  referred.  Among  many  famous  deci- 
sions of  his  is  that  of  the  case  of  the  tiger  and  the  boar. 


THE   TIGER  AND   THE  BOAR. 


THE  TIGER  AND  THE  BOAR. 


303 


A  tiger  and  a  wild  boar  were  brought  up  as  foster-brethren,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  an  eternal  friendship.  The  boar  became  very  fat  as  he  reached 
maturity,  and  the  tiger's  mouth  watered  every  time  he  looked  at  his  friend's  fat 
sides,  and  he  began  to  seek  an  excuse  for  eating  him. 

One  morning  the  tiger  went,  with  much  feigned  sadness,  to  the  boar,  and 
told  him  he  had  been  disturbed  by  bad  dreams,  saying,  "I  dreamed  that  I  ate 
you,  and  your  fat  sides  tasted  deliciously." 

"Well,  what  of  that?  "  said  the  boar. 

"The  trouble  is,"  replied  the  tiger,  "we  tigers  have  an  ancestral  custom 
which  compels  us  to  make  true  any  dream  we  have ;  and  so,  however  reluctant 
to  break  our  friendship,  I  must  eat  you." 

The  boar  refused  to  be  bound  by  any  tiger's  custom,  and  after  great  dispute 
they  agreed  to  defer  the  matter  to  the  nearest  King,  and  set  out  for  his  court. 
When  they  reached  the  palace,  the  tiger  told  the  boar  to  go  right  in,  and  he 
would  follow  soon.  The  boar  took  his  seat  in  the  audience  chamber;  but  the 
tiger  secured  a  private  meeting  with  the  King,  and  offered  him  a  bribe  of  a  hind 
quarter  of  the  boar  to  decide  in  his  favor. 

Crowds  assembled  to  witness  the  strange  spectacle  of  a  lawsuit  between 
two  wild  animals.  The  sight  of  the  boar's  fat  sides  made  the  mouths  of  the 
King  and  Queen  and  nobles  water  till  the  floor  was  bedewed  with  saliva.  The 
bribe,  so  tempting,  of  course  caused  the  case  to  be  prejudged.  The  tiger 
pleaded  the  sanctity  of  ancestral  customs,  and  with  plentiful  tears  bewailed  his 
sad  fate  in  being  compelled  to  eat  so  valued  a  friend. 

The  boar  pleaded  the  inviolability  of  the  ties  which  bound  them  together. 
The  boar  pleaded  in  vain ;  for  his  fatness  showed  so  temptingly  the  bribe  the 
tiger  had  offered,  that  the  case  went  against  him.  When  the  decision  was  made 
the  boar  demanded  seven  days  in  which  to  dispose  of  his  property  and  make 
provision  for  his  family,  and  was  released,  after  taking  a  solemn  oath  to  return 
for  death  on  that  day  week.  While  sadly  visiting  his  old  haunts,  the  boar  met 
the  hare,  and  was  asked  why  he  looked  so  sorrowful.  The  boar  replied  by 
telling  of  the  sad  fate  that  awaited  him. 

"When?  In  such  an  insignificant  case  as  this  hire  me  as  your  lawyer,"  said 
the  hare. 

The  boar,  of  course,  retained  the  hare  as  his  legal  adviser,  and  on  the 
appointed  day  the  two  went  to  court  together. 

The  boar  claimed  the  right  to  bring  further  pleas  in  his  case,  as  he  was  now 
represented  by  proper  legal  counsel.  The  hare  panted  and  pretended  to  be 


304  ZIGZAG    JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

completely  out  of  breath,  and  said  he  must  have  a  nap  to  rest  him  before  he 
could  do  full  justice  in  so  important  a  case.  A  mat  was  spread  for  him,  and 
the  hare  pretended  to  drop  asleep,  while  the  King  and  Queen  and  nobility  looked 
with  watering  mouths  at  the  fat  sides  of  the  boar. 

At  last  the  hare  sprang  up,  and,  clasping  his  hands  in  ecstasy,  he  exclaimed  : 
"  What  a  glorious  dream  I  have  had  !  I  dreamed  that  I  eloped  with  the  Queen. 
We  hares  have  an  ancestral  custom  that  we  must  make  good  every  dream  we 
have ;  so  I  must  elope  with  the  Queen." 

With  that  he  seized  the  Queen's  hand,  and  began  dragging  her  away. 

The  King  saw  he  must  reverse  his  previous  decision  in  the  case  of  tiger  and 
boar;  so  he  hastily  decided  against  the  sanctity  of  ancestral  customs,  and  freed 
the  boar. 


THE   TIGER   AND   THE    MAN. 

A  poor  "  toungya  "  cultivator  left  his  basket  every  morning  in  his  hut  in  the 
"  toungya,"  and  a  tiger  came  and  stole  it  every  day.  The  man,  in  his  anger,  set 
a  trap  of  huge  logs  so  arranged  as  to  fall  on  any  animal  that  touched  the  bait. 
The  tiger  was  caught  and  badly  crushed  by  the  logs,  but  was  still  alive.  When 
the  man  came  in  on  hearing  the  roars,  the  tiger  pleaded  hard  for  his  life.  He 
admitted  the  daily  theft,  but  urged  that  theft  was  not  a  capital  crime,  and  that 
he  had  been  so  severely  punished  already  by  the  fall  of  the  trap  that  he  ought 
in  justice  to  be  released  from  the  trap. 

The  man  refused,  saying  he  feared  the  tiger  would  eat  him  if  released.  The 
tiger  swore  most  solemnly  never  to  attempt  revenge,  and  was  released. 

As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  the  trap  he  seized  the  man  and  was  about  to 
devour  him.  The  man  pleaded  the  sanctity  of  the  oath  just  taken.  The  tiger 
said  necessity  knew  no  law,  and  that,  crippled  as  he  was,  he  could  no  longer 
catch  game  for  his  daily  food,  but  -must  eat  the  man  or  starve. 

The  hare  happened  to  be  passing,  and  the  case  was  referred  to  him  for 
decision. 

The  hare,  with  a  wise'  look,  said,  "  I  can't  understand  this  matter  clearly. 
Now  you  both  act  out  just  what  each  did." 

The  man  told  where  he  hid  his  breakfast  every  day,  and  showed  how  he 
set  the  trap,  and  made  the  man  set  it  to  show  how  it  was  done.  The  tiger  was 
then  ordered  to  show  what  he  did,  and  accordingly  entered  the  trap,  but  walked 
round  gingerly,  carefully  avoiding  the  spring  of  the  trap. 

"  I  don't  see  that  anything  happened  to  you  that  you  can  justly  complain 
of,"  said  the  hare.  "  How  could  you  have  received  these  terrible  bruises?" 


THE   TIGER  AND    THE  ELEPHANT. 


307 


The  tiger  edged  nearer  and  nearer,  till  at  last  he  touched  the  spring  and  the 
trap  fell  again. 

"  Out  dah  l  and  attack  him !  "  said  the  hare,  "  and  never  again  restore  an 
advantage  to  an  enemy  too  strong  for  you." 

THE   TIGER   AND   THE   ELEPHANT. 

A  tiger  and  an  elephant  once  made  a  bet  as  to  which  was  the  larger.  The 
winner  was  to  eat  the  loser.  They  agreed  to  leave  the  decision  to  the  men  of  A 
neighboring  village.  Both  were  to  go  near  the  village  and  roar  by  turns,  and 
listen  to  what  the  villagers  said.  The  elephant  roared  first.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  elephant  never  roars  except  when  in  pain ;  so  the  villagers  said,  "  What 
ails  that  little  elephant?  What  can  be  attacking  him? "  The  tiger  then  roared, 
and  the  villagers  said  at  once,  "  There !  it 's  a  tiger  that  is  attacking  the  little 
elephant.  He  must  be  a  monster  to  prey  on  elephants." 

"  There  !  do  you  hear  that?  "  said  the  tiger.  "  You  are  pronounced  a  little 
elephant,  while  I  am  called  a  monster.  Now  I  '11  eat  you." 

The  elephant  begged  for  a  week's  delay  to  enable  him  again  to  visit  his 
birthplace  and  his  ancient  feeding-grounds,  and  to  bid  good-by  to  his  family. 
The  respite  was  granted,  and  the  elephant  swore  to  be  on  hand  at  the  appointed 
day. 

The  elephant,  on  revisiting  the  pool  in  which  he  was  accustomed  to  drink, 
wept  so  profusely  over  his  sad  fate  that  his  tears  made  the  stream  salt.  The 
hare  lived  farther  down  the  stream ;  and  when  he  found  his  drinking-water 
brackish,  he  started  up  stream  to  see  what  had  defiled  the  water. 

When  he  found  the  elephant,  he  asked  why  he  looked  so  thin  in  flesh,  and 
why  he  wept  so  profusely.  The  elephant  told  the  story  of  the  lost  bet ;  and  the 
hare  laughingly  replied,  "  If  that  is  all,  hire  me  as  your  lawyer,  and  I  "11  soon 
set  you  free." 

The  hare's  legal  services  were  retained,  and  both  proceeded  together  on  the 
appointed  day  to  the  rendezvous.  They  went  a  little  early. 

The  hare  told  the  elephant  to  feign  death,  and  when  he  bit  him  on  the  car 
to  raise  his  head,  and  when  he  pulled  him  by  the  end  of  the  trunk  to  move  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  was  pulled. 

As  soon  as  the  tiger  came  near,  he  saw  the  hare  skipping  over  the  huge, 
apparently  dead  carcass,  every  now  and  then  nibbling  the  ear  of  the  elephant, 
when  the  huge  head  of  the  elephant  would  rise  as  if  the  hare  had  lifted  it. 
Every  now  and  then  the  hare  would  pull  at  the  trunk,  and  the  whole  body  of 

1  A  long-handled  knife  or  cleaver 


308  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

the  elephant  would  roll  over  as  if  by  the  efforts  of  the  hare.  The  tiger  thought 
the  hare  had  killed  his  elephant,  and  said  to  himself,  "  That 's  a  wonderfully 
strong  little  fellow  to  kill  my  elephant  and  drag  the  body  about  so  easily.  I 
don't  believe  even  I  am  a  match  for  him.  I  '11  try  and  get  my  elephant  peace- 
ably, but  I  shall  not  dare  risk  a  fight  with  a  beast  that  can  kill  and  drag  about 
a  whole  elephant  like  that."  On  going  nearer,  the  tiger  said,  "  Hallo !  what  are 
you  doing  with  my  elephant?" 

The  hare  replied  in  a  grumbling  tone,  as  if  his  mouth  were  full  of  food, 
"  One  elephant  is  not  enough  for  my  breakfast ;  have  you  come  to  eke  out  my 
meal  with  your  flesh?  " 

The  tiger,  in  great  fright,  said,  "  I  came  to  eat,  and  not  to  be  eaten ;  "  and 
rushed  in  terror  to  the  dense  jungle,  roaring  with  rage  at  losing  his  food. 


THE   HARE   AND   THE   KING. 

A  certain  King  once  was  so  proud  that  he  became  almost  unendurable  to 
his  subjects.  The  hare  went  to  rebuke  him. 

He  came  into  the  court  and  called  out,  "  Hey,  you  fellow !  who  are  you, 
anyway?  " 

The  answer  was,  "  I  am  the  King." 

The  hare  replied,  "  Well,  I  am  only  a  jungle  beast,  and  don't  know  what 
'  king '  means." 

"  A  king  is  one  who  has  nothing  above  him,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  I  declare  !  Is  there  nothing  above  you  ?  "  questioned  the  hare,  with 
a  look  of  astonishment. 

"  Nothing,"  answered  the  King. 

"  Well,  I  never  saw  a  man  with  nothing  above  him  before,  and  I  want  to 
take  a  good  look  at  you." 

"  Look  your  fill !  "  the  King  replied. 

The  hare  stared  at  the  King  for  hours,  till  an  urgent  call  of  hunger  led  the 
King  to  attempt  to  leave  the  Court  quietly,  without  attracting  notice.  The  hare 
called  out,  "  Hey,  you  King !  where  are  you  going  to  ?  " 

The  King,  abashed,  sat  down  again. 

This  was  repeated  several  times,  till  the  King  could  hold  out  no  longer,  and 
blurted  out,  "  If  you  must  know,  I  'm  hungry." 

"  Ah,  you  're  no  king !  "  shouted  the  hare ;  "  your  own  bowels  are  your 
master.  They  demand  food,  and  you  are  powerless  to  resist."  The  hare  then 
went  on  to  show  him  death,  sickness,  and  old  age  were  all  above  him,  and  that 
he  must  obey  them,  and  that  by  his  own  definition  only  God  was  king. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


THE   CREMATION    OF   A    KING. 

OW  greatly  the  missionary  was  needed  in  Siam 
might  be  easily  illustrated  by  the  manner  in 
which  sickness  is  treated,  and  in  the  cruel 
ceremonies  that  attend  the  birth  of  children 
and  the  funeral  rites.  Bowring  gives  a  pre- 
scription used  in  fevers,  which  must  have  been 
the  product  of  a  genius  of  superstition.  It  was 
as  follows :  — 

"  One  portion  of  rhinoceros  horn,  one  of  elephant's  tusk,  one  of  tiger's,  and 
the  same  of  crocodile's  teeth ;  one  bear's  tooth,  one  portion  composed  of  three 
parts  bones  of  vulture,  raven,  and  goose ;  one  portion  of  bison,  and  another  of 
stag's  horn,  one  portion  of  sandal." 

Bowring  says :  — 

"  When  a  Siamese  is  dying,  the  priests  are  sent  for,  who  recite  passages 
which  speak  of  the  vanity  of  earthly  things  from  their  sacred  books,  and  cry  out, 
repeating  the  exclamation  in  the  ears  of  the  dying,  — 

"  '  Arahang  !  arahang ! '  (a  mystical  word  implying  the  purity  of  Buddha.) 

"  When  the  dying  has  heaved  his  last  breath,  the  whole  family  utter  piercing 
cries,  and  address  their  lamentations  to  the  departed :  — 

"  '  O  father  benefactor  !  why  leave  us?  What  have  we  done  to  offend  you? 
Why  depart  alone?  It  was  your  own  fault.  Why  did  you  eat  the  fruit  that 
caused  the  dysentery?  We  foretold  it;  why  did  not  you  listen  to  us?  Oh, 
misery !  Oh,  desolation  !  Oh,  inconstancy  of  human  affairs  !  ' 

"  They  fling  themselves  at  the  feet  of  the  dead,  weep,  wail,  kiss,  utter  a 
thousand  tender  reproaches,  till  grief  has  exhausted  its  lamentable  expressions. 


310  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  The  body  is  then  washed  and  enveloped  in  whke  cloth ;  it  is  placed  in  a 
coffin  covered  with  gilded  paper,  and  decorated  with  tinsel  flowers ;  a  dais  is 
prepared,  ornamented  with  the  same  materials  as  the  coffin,  but  with  wreaths  of 
flowers  and  a  number  of  wax-lights. 

"  After  a  day  or  two  the  coffin  is  removed,  not  through  the  door,  but 
through  an  opening  specially  made  in  the  wall;  the  coffin  is  escorted  thrice 
round  the  house  at  full  speed,  in  order  that  the  dead,  forgetting  the  way  through 
which  he  has  passed,  may  not  return  to  molest  the  living. 

"  The  coffin  is  then  taken  to  a  large  barge  and  placed  on  a  platform,  sur- 
mounted by  the  dais,  to  the  sound  of  melancholy  music.  The  relations  and 
friends,  in  small  boats,  accompany  the  barge  to  the  temple  where  the  body  is 
to  be  burnt.  Being  arrived,  the  coffin  is  opened  and  delivered  to  the  officials 
charged  with  the  cremation,  the  corpse  having  in  his  mouth  a  silver  tical  (2J.  6d. 
in  value)  to  defray  the  expenses.  The  burner  first  washes  the  face  of  the  corpse 
with  cocoa-nut  milk ;  and  if  the  deceased  have  ordered  that  his  body  shall  be 
delivered  to  vultures  and  crows,  the  functionary  cuts  it  up  and  distributes  it  to 
the  birds  of  prey  which  are  always  assembled  in  such  localities.  The  corpse 
being  placed  upon  the  pile,  the  fire  is  kindled.  When  the  combustion  is  over, 
the  relatives  assemble,  collect  the  principal  bones,  which  they  place  in  an  urn, 
and  convey  them  to  the  family  abode.  The  garb  of  mourning  is  white,  and  is 
accompanied  by  the  shaving  of  the  head.  The  funerals  of  the  opulent  last  for 
two  or  three  days.  There  are  fireworks,  sermons  from  the  bonzes,  nocturnal 
theatricals,  where  all  sorts  of  monsters  are  introduced.  Seats  are  erected  within 
the  precincts  of  the  temples,  and  games  and  gambling  accompany  the  rites 
connected  with  the  dead." 

The  cremation  of  a  dead  king  is  a  great  national  event  in  Siam. 
No  coronation  could  be  more  imposing.  The  solemnity  of  death  adds 
to  the  dramatic  effect  of  the  rituals.  Kings  from  Laos,  and  princes 
from  afar  add  to  the  splendor  of  the  last  awful  rites. 

The  cremation  ceremonies  of  1870  were  of  this  spectacular  char- 
acter. The  temple  of  the  pyre  was  starred  with  gold.  Says  an  eye- 
witness, — 

"  Below,  the  temple  had  four  entrances  leading  directly  to  the  pyre ;  upon 
each  side,  as  you  entered,  were  placed  magnificent  mirrors,  which  reflected  the 
whole  interior  of  the  building,  which  was  decorated  with  blue  and  gold,  in  the 


A   BREAK-NECK    RIDE. 


THE  CREMATION  OF  A   KING. 


313 


same  manner  as  the  exterior.  From  the  roof  depended  immense  chandeliers, 
which  at  night  increased  the  effect  beyond  description.  Sixteen  large  columns, 
running  from  north  to  south,  supported  the  roof.  The  entire  height  of  the 
building  must  have  been  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  its  length  about  fifty 
feet,  and  breadth  forty  feet.  In  the  centre  was  a  raised  platform,  about  seven 
feet  high,  which  was  the  place  upon  which  the  urn  containing  the  body  was  to 
be  placed  ;  upon  each  side  of  this  were  stairs  covered  with  scarlet  and  gold  cloth. 

"  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  ceremonies,  when  I  rose  at  daylight,  I  was  quite 
surprised  at  the  number  and  elegance  of  the  large  boats  that  were  dashing 
about  the  river  in  every  direction ;  some  of  them  with  elegantly  formed  little 
spires  (two  in  each  boat)  of  a  snowy-white,  picked  out  with  gold ;  others  with 
magnificent  scarlet  canopies,  with  curtains  of  gold ;  others  filled  with  soldiers 
dressed  in  red,  blue,  or  green,  according  to  their  respective  regiments ;  the 
whole  making  a  most  effective  tableau,  far  superior  to  any  we  had  during  the 
time  the  embassy  was  here. 

"  Whilst  I  was  admiring  this  scene,  I  heard  the  cry  of '  Sedet '  (the  name 
of  the  King  when  he  goes  out),  and  turning  round,  beheld  the  fleet  of  the  King's 
boats  sweeping  down.  His  Majesty  stopped  at  the  '  men,'  where  an  apartment 
had  been  provided  for  him.  The  moment  the  King  left  his  boat,  the  most  in- 
tense stillness  prevailed,  —  a  silence  that  was  absolutely  painful;  this  was,  after 
the  lapse  of  a  few  seconds,  broken  by  a  slight  stroke  of  a  tom-tom.  At  that 
sound  every  one  on  shore  and  in  the  boats  fell  on  their  knees,  and  silently  and 
imperceptibly  the  barge  containing  the  high-priest  parted  from  the  shore  at  the 
Somdetch's  palace,  and  floated  with  the  tide  towards  the  '  men.' 

"  This  barge  was  immediately  followed  by  that  containing  the  urn,  which 
was  placed  upon  a  throne  in  the  centre  of  the  boat.  One  priest  knelt  upon  the 
lower  part  of  the  urn  in. front,  and  one  at  the  back.  (It  had  been  constantly 
watched  since  his  death.)  Nothing  could  exceed  the  silence  and  immovability 
of  the  spectators ;  the  tales  I  used  to  read  of  nations  being  turned  to  statues 
were  here  realized,  with  the  exception  that  all  had  the  same  attitude.  It  was 
splendid,  but  it  was  fearful.  During  the  whole  of  the  next  day  the  urn  stayed 
in  the  '  men,'  in  order  that  the  people  might  come  and  pay  their  last  respects. 

"The  urn,  or  rather  its  exterior  cover,  was  composed  of  the  finest  gold, 
elegantly  carved  and  studded  with  innumerable  diamonds.  It  was  about  five 
feet  high,  and  two  feet  in  diameter. 

"  Upon  the  day  of  the  burning,  two  Kings  arrived  about  four  P.  M.  The 
golden  cover  was  taken  off,  and  an  interior  urn  of  brass  now  contained  the 
body,  which  rested  upon  cross-bars  at  the  bottom  of  the  urn.  Beneath  were 
all  kinds  of  odoriferous  gums. 


314  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

"  The  first  King,  having  distributed  yellow  cloths  to  an  infinite  number  of 
priests,  ascended  the  steps  which  led  to  the  pyre,  holding  in  his  hand  a  lighted 
candle,  and  set  fire  to  the  inflammable  materials  beneath  the  body. 

"  The  next  day  the  bones  were  taken  out  of  the  urn,  and  given  to  the  King's 
relatives." 

The  fireworks  on  the  river  on  the  nights  of  such  cremation  ser- 
vices are  inconceivably  splendid.  The  river  runs  fire,  and  the  sky  is 
flame. 

There  have  been  several  influences  on  Siam  during  the  last  half- 
century,  which  have  silently  changed  the  thought  and  habits  of  the 
people.  One  of  them  is  the  introduction  of  modern  inventions,  and 
another  is  the  missionary  work  among  the  Chinese  population.  But  a 
very  important  influence  on  the  late  King  and  Court  has  been  that  of 
a  woman.  In  writing  and  editing  this  medley  of  stories  illustrating 
the  Siamese  peninsula,  and  what  we  may  teach  Siam,  and  what  we  may 
learn  from  it,  and  what  it  may  teach  us,  we  have  made  use  of  several 
of  the  stories  of  Mrs.  Leonowens  by  her  special  permission.  These 
stories  were  originally  written  for  an  American  periodical,  which  per- 
mitted their  use  here.  Mrs.  Leonowens  was,  as  we  have  stated,  for  a 
considerable  time  a  governess  in  the  Siamese  Court,  and  her  works, 
"  Life  in  the  Harem,"  and  "  An  English  Governess  in  a  Siamese 
Court,"  are  very  well  known  to  readers  of  the  best  literature  of  ten 
years  ago,  and  would  be  excellent  reading  to  follow  this  story.  This 
lady's  influence  on  the  King  and  Court  led  to  a  great  change  of  cus- 
toms, and  enlargement  of  liberal  thought  and  policy  of  the  govern- 
ment. In  Siam  the  King  is  the  kingdom,  and  whatever  influences 
the  King  moulds  the  £>tate. 

The  railroad-builders  and  linemen,  of  whom  Mr.  C.  A.  Stephens 
has  written  many  delightful  stories  of  adventure,  have  also  been  pio- 
neers of  a  better  and  higher  order  of  civilization.  They  have  prepared, 
and  are  preparing,  the  field  for  the  missionary.  Says  George  B.  Bacon, 
in  "Siam:"  — 


INFLUENCE   OF  MISSIONARIES  ON  SI  AM. 


3'5 


"  At  first  sight  these  years  of  missionary  effort  might  seem  to  have  resulted 
in  failure.  The  statistics  show  but  little  accomplished ;  the  roll  of  communi- 
cants seems  insignificant.  And  of  the  sincerity  and  intelligence  even  of  this 
small  handful  there  are  occasional  misgivings.  And  on  the  whole,  those  who 
are  quick  to  criticise  and  to  oppose  foreign  missions  might  seem  to  have  a 
good  argument,  and  to  find  a  case  in  point,  in  the  history  of  missions  in  Siam. 

"  But  really  the  success  of  these  efforts  has  been  extraordinary,  although 
the  history  of  them  exhibits  an  order  of  results  almost  without  precedent 
Ordinarily,  the  religious  enlightenment  of  a  people  comes  first,  and  the  civili- 
zation follows  as  a  thing  of  course.  But  here  the  Christianization  of  the  nation 
has  scarcely  begun,  but  its  civilization  has  made  (as  this  volume  has  abun- 
dantly shown)  much  more  than  a  beginning. 

"  The  medical  missionaries,  by  their  charitable  work  among  the  rich,  in  the 
healing  of  disease,  and  by  instituting  various  sanitary  and  precautionary  ex- 
pedients, have  done  much  to  familiarize  all  classes  with  the  excellence  of 
Western  science,  and  to  draw  attention  and  respect  to  the  civilization  which 
they  represent.  It  is  due  to  the  Christian  missionaries,  and  (without  any  dis- 
paragement to  the  excellence  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priests)  we  may  say 
especially  to  the  American  missionaries,  more  than  to  any  enterprise  of  com- 
merce or  shrewdness  of  diplomacy,  that  Siam  is  so  far  advanced  in  its  inter- 
course with  other  nations." 

In  this  hard  field  the  American  missionaries  are  still  patiently  at 
work;  and  what  Mr.  Taylor  says  in  his  work  on  "  Siam  "  is  true  to-day. 
There  is  a  great  influence  exerted  without  direct  results.  The  charac- 
ter of  the  people  is  slowly  changing  under  the  teaching  of  the  Gospel 
and  the  advance  of  science ;  but  the  change  has  come  like  a  change 
of  seasons,  almost  unobserved. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


IVORY'S   DEATH. 


N  Christmas  day  there  came  flying  to  Rangoon  a 
courier  with  a  dreadful  message.  The  Deceits 
had  raided  the  country  and  killed  a  great  num- 
ber of  people. 

I   was  anxious    to   hear   from    the   surveying 
party.     The  courier  had  learned  their  safety,  - 
all  but  one. 

Who  was  he  ?     The  courier  did  not  know. 
"  The  Decoits  were  preparing  to  burn  an  old  Burmese  woman  in 
her  hut,  and  he  died  in  defending  her.     He  was  shot  down." 

It  could  not  have  been  Ivory.  His  spirit,  so  full  of  tenderness  and 
sentiment,  would  not  have  been  equal  to  an  encounter  like  that. 

Yet  something  told  me  that  the  young  man  was  Ivory.  The 
thought  haunted  me ;  it  came  to  me  in  vivid  dreams  ;  in  fact,  it  made 
life  like  a  vivid  dream. 

Two  days  after  Christmas  the  two  linemen  came  to  Rangoon.  I 
saw  them  as  they  rode  up  to  the  hotel.  My  heart  grew  hot  as  I 
strained  my  eyes  in  vain  for  Ivory. 

Their  faces  turned  white  as  they  caught  my  eye. 
"  Where  is  Ivory  ?  "  I  asked  with  an  unsteady  voice. 
"  Have  you  not  heard  ?     Did  not  the  courier  tell  you  ?  " 
«No  — what?" 
"  We  escaped." 


IVORY'S  DEATH. 

"  Yes." 

"  But  he  stayed  behind  to  help  a  bedridden  woman." 

"  Yes." 

"  And  they  shot  him." 

There  was  a  silence. 

"  He  might  have  escaped.  But  the  woman  begged  him  not  to 
leave  her.  We  urged  him  to  come  away,  but  he  said,  '  I  cannot 
leave  her.'  We  told  him  that  he  would  be  shot  and  —  " 

"What?" 

"  His  only  reply  was,  '  I  do  not  fear  death  at  all ;  I  should  be 
afraid  not  to  do  my  duty.  You  may  go,  but  I  must  defend  the  poor 
creature  or  die.'  He  left  his  coat  in  one  of  our  houses.  We  have 
brought  it  to  you." 

I  went  to  my  room.     I  did  not  leave  it  for  several  days. 

On  New  Year's  day  I  examined  the  pockets  of  the  coat  with  a 
trembling  hand.  I  found  only  a  handkerchief  and  a  small  blank 
book.  In  the  book  was  a  poem. 

ALEXANDER   WILSON'S   LAST  WISH. 

In  some  wild  forest  shade, 
Under  some  spreading  oak,  or  waving  pine, 
Or  old  elm,  festooned  with  the  budding  vine, 
Let  me  be  laid. 

In  this  dim  lonely  grot 
No  foot  intrusive  will  disturb  my  dust, 
But  o'er  me  songs  of  the  wild  birds  shall  burst, 
Cheering  the  spot. 

Not  amid  charnel  stones, 
Or  coffins  dark  and  thick  with  ancient  mould, 
With  tattered  pall  and  fringe  of  cankered  gold, 
May  rest  my  bones. 

But  let  the  dewy  rose, 
The  snowdrop  and  the  violet,  lend  perfume 
Above  the  spot  where,  in  my  grassy  tomb, 
I  take  repose. 


320  ZIGZAG  JOURNEYS  IN  THE  ANTIPODES. 

Year  after  year, 

Within  the  silver  birch-tree  o'er  me  hung, 
The  chirping  wren  shall  rear  her  callow  young, 
Shall  build  her  dwelling  near. 

And  at  the  purple  dawn  of  day 
The  lark  shall  chant  a  pealing  song  above, 
And  the  shrill  quail  shall  pipe  her  song  of  love, 

When  eve  grows  dim  and  gray. 

The  blackbird  and  the  thrush, 
The  golden  oriole,  shall  flit  around, 
And  waken  with  a  mellow  gust  of  sound 

The  forest's  solemn  hush. 

Birds  from  the  distant  sea 
Shall  sometimes  hither  flock  on  snowy  wings, 
And  soar  above  my  dust  in  airy  rings, 

Singing  a  dirge  to  me. 

Who  wrote  these  lines? 

They  were  printed  and  evidently  cut  from  some  American  paper. 

I  have  read  them  a  hundred  times  with  tears. 

I  have  never  met  any  one  like  Ivory.  There  was  a  mystery  in 
his  life  and  in  his  death  that  I  cannot  solve.  I  can  only  say  that  no 
life  with  any  noble  purpose  is  lived  in  vain. 

It  was  in  this  discursive  way  and  through  these  strange  circum- 
stances that  I  came  to  see  and  live  in  the  Antipodes.  It  is  not  often, 
I  think,  that  a  hotel  clerk  and  telegrapher  is  called  to  pursue  an  active 
life  in  his  early  years  on  opposite  sides  of  the  world. 


University  Press :  John  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge. 


, 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  UBHAHY  I-AOUIY 


